Best Mom in the World...

...este mama mea. Si probabil acum veti sari "ba a mea". Cand eram mica eram in stare sa o tin asa ore in sir pana cand adversarul meu era convins ca mama mea e cea mai tare. Si tot cand eram mica in fiecare 7 martie pregateam la gradi sau la scoala tot felul de cadouri pentru ziua mamei: desene cu boabe de fasole, felicitari pictate, flori din hartie, ghirlande colorate. Cred ca multe din ele inca mai sunt prin sertarele mamei pe undeva. Acum, chiar daca am crescut, tot nu renunt la cadourile lucrate de mana pentru ca stiu ca acestea o incanta cel mai mult pe mama mea, doar ca acum sunt un pic mai rafinate si mai bine lucrate si chiar le poate purta.
...is my mom. And now you'll say "nay, mine". When I was little I could go on with this for hours until my opponent would agree with me. Also back then, in kindergarten or middle school, every 7th of March was the day when we would make crafty presents for our mothers: beans drawings, hand painted cards, paper flowers, colorful garlands. I think my mom still keeps many of them somewhere in her drawers. Now, even as an adult, I'm not giving up on handmade presents because I know these are the ones she loves most. Only now they are more refined and better crafted and she can actually wear them.

Suntem deja in intarziere asa ca sa trecem la treaba
We run a little late so let's get started:

1.sarma aurie sau colorata de 1mm grosime; 2. cleste de taiat si indoit; 3. lant; 4. zale; 5. inchizatoare; 6. o margea sau stras
1. golden or colored 1mm wire; 2. bender and clipper; 3. chain; 4. chain mail; 5. clasp; 6. one bead or rhinestone

1. incepeti prin a schita pe hartie ceea ce vreti sa scrieti. Incercati sa nu ridicati creionul de e hartie si sa nu treceti de mai multe ori prin acelasi loc. Acest lucru va va ajuta foarte mult in momentul in care veti lucra cu sarma
2. introduceti pe sarma margeaua sau strasul pe care l-ati ales; desi el va fi intre cuvinte e bine sa-l aveti deja pe sarma ca sa nu fiti nevoiti sa taiati sarma pe parcurs
3. indoiti sarma cu clestele de indoit formand literele
4. atasati zalele, lantul si inchizatoarea
1. start by sketching on paper what you want to write. Try not to lift the pencil off the paper and not to pass more than twice over the same spot. This will be very helpful when you'll actually start bending the wire.
2. put the bead or the rhinestone on the wire; it will stay between the words but it's better to already have it on the wire so you won't have to cut it later
3. bend the wire shaping the letters
4. when you're done attach the chain mail, the chain and the clasp

Si cand il veti oferi mamei nu uitati sa-i spuneti cand mult o iubiti si sa ii multumiti pentru tot ce a facut pentru voi.
And when you'll give it to your mother don't forget to tell her how much you love her and to thank her for everything she has done for you.

Te iubesc, mami!
Love you mom!

I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

Nu stiu exact daca pentru acest DIY am fost inspirata de inocenta premiantilor din clasa intai, de pasiunea fridei Khalo sau de talentul Lanei del Rey. Ce stiu sigur este ca nu exista un md mai bun de a sarbatori primavara decat sa-ti aduni in par toate florile lumii.
I don't know exactly if for this DIY I got inspired by the little girls' innocence, the great passion of Frida Khalo or the genuine talent of Lana del Rey. What I know for sure is that there is no better way to celebrate the spring than gathering all the flowers of the world in your hair.

Si pentru a reusi asta aveti nevoie de:
And to achieve that you'll need:

1. flori artificiale; 2. sarma; 3. banda adeziva pentru flori; 4. foarfeca; 5. cleste de taiat
1. silk flowers, 2. wire, 3. floral tape, 4 .scissors; 5. clipper
* eu am folosit sarma normala si banda adeziva pentru flori pentru ca nu am gasit direct sarma pentru flori, dar daca voi aveti o puteti folosi cu incredere
*I used normal wire and floral tape because I couldn't find any floral wire, but you can use it if you have it

1. masurati-va circumferinta capului, adaugati 15 cm si taiati o bucata de sarma de dimensiunea rezultata
2. rasuciti impreuna capetele sarmei pentru a un cerc
3. acoperiti cercul de sarma cu banda adeziva pentru flori
4. taiati florile artificiale de pe tulpina principata, lasandu-le totusi mici codite de 4-5 cm
5. aranjati-le pe masa exact asa cum vreti sa vina pe coronita
6. incepeti sa le prindeti de cercul de sarma de la un capat la altul. Daca florile au codita din sarma puteti sa le infasurati in jurul bazei. Daca au codita doar din  plastic atunci le puteti prinde cu banda adeziva pentru flori.
1. measure your head, add 15cm and cut a piece of wire of that lenght. 
2. twist the ends of the wire together to create a circle
3. cover the wire with floral tape
4. cut the flowers off the main stem keeping their own little stems.
5. arrange them in front of you the way you want to have them on your crown
6. begin to attach them to the wire circle. if your flowers have a wire stem, you can just twist them on the circle. If the stem is just plastic than you can wrap them with floral tape.

Acum puneti coronita pe cap, iesiti afara si salutati soarle.
Now put it on your head, go out and say hi the sun.
Love,
L. 

Sunday Smoothie: Ananas&Mure/Pineapple&Blackberry

Exista doua mari dileme in lumea asta: oul sau gaina si munte sau mare. Fiind nascuta in Brasov este normal sa imi placa muntele si sa ma simt ca acasa cand oriunde vad unul. Dar tocmai pentru ca sunt nascuta la munte ador marea pentru ca nu aveam acces tot timpul la ea. Solutia ideala: tari precum Italia sau Croatia unde le poti avea pe amandoua la un loc.
La fel este si smoothie-ul de astazi, o combinatie intre fructele de padure de pe varful muntilor si ananas si cocos de pe plajele tropicale. Noroc ca exista supermarketuri unde le gasiti pe toate la un loc :)
There are two big dilemmas in this world: the chicken or the egg and mountain or beach. Being born in a mountain city it's natural for me to love the mountain because every time I see one I feel like home. But because of that I also have to adore the sea because it wasn't something I could enjoy everyday. The best solution: countries like Italy or Croatia that have them side by side.  
And this applies to this smoothie, a combo between the forest fruits from the top of the mountain and the pineapple and coconut from the exotic beaches. Lucky for us, you can find them all in a supermarket :)

Ingrediente: 4 felii ananas, o cana lapte de cocos sau 2 linguri de unt de cocos, o cana de iaurt dulce, o cana de mure, 2 linguri de musli cu ciocolata.
Ingredients: 4 pineapple slices, one cup coconut milk or 2 tbsp coconut butter, one cup sweet yogurt, 2 tbsp chocolate granola.

Voi ce alegeti? Munte, mare sau amandoua?
So which one do you choose? Mountain, seaside or both?
Love,
L.

Prima zi de primavara/ First day of Spring

Calendaristic vorbind, astazi este ultima zi de iarna si chiar daca cerul este inca negru si frigul nu se lasa dus, in capul meu au inceput sa rasara flori si sa zumzaie albinele. Si se pare ca toata lumea e de acord ca iarna e nesuferita si urata daca s-a inventat o sarbatoare special pentru prima zi de primavara. Caci imediat e 1 martie si fara martisor nu e primavara.
Looking through the calendar pages, today is the last day of winter and even if the sky is grey and the cold won't go away, flowers are popping in my head and the bees are buzzing. And in my country the first day of spring is called Martisor and it's celebrated by offering a lucky charm to your loved ones, which they have to wear upon themselves for the whole day. Usually this charms are a four leaves clover, a ladybug or a chimney sweep tied with a red and white thread.

Astazi vreau sa va arat un altfel de martisor, pe care sa-l purtati la mana si pe care puteti agata toti trifoii, hornarii si gargaritele pe care le veti primi de 1 martie.
But today I want to show you how to make a friendship bracelet using one or more of these charms and red and white embroidery thread.

1. ata mouline rosie si alba, cate 3 metri; 2.unul sau mai multe martisoare micute; 3. foarfeca; 4. banda adeziva
1. red and white embroidery thread, 3 meters each color; 2.one or more charms; 3. scissors; 4. tape 

Inainte de a va arata pasii am facut o mica animatie care va arata cum se realizeaza nodurile ce alcatuiesc bratara prieteniei
Before I take you through the steps I made a short animation that shows how to make the knots for the friendship bracelet.

1. Taiati ata in bucati de cate un metru pentru a avea in final 3 bucati rosii si 3 bucati albe. Innodati-le impreuna la un capat, lasand o codita de 7-10 cm. Aranjati-le alternativ astfel incat sa aveti o ata rosie, una alba
2. Realizati nodurile incepand cu ata din stanga pe care o innodati de cate doua ori pe fiecare ata din dreapta. Continuati sa innodati pana ajungeti la 7-8 cm.
3. Introduceti charm-ul pe ultimele 2 ate si innodati in continuare facand abstractie de el, inca 7-8cm.
4.  Finalizati bratara innodand toate cele 6 ate si lasati o codita de 7-10 cm. Impletiti coditele de la cele doua capete. Cu ele va veti lega bratara la mana.
1. Cut the thread in one meter pieces so you'll have 3 red 1 meter threads and 3 white 1 meter threads. Tie them together with a big knot, leaving a tail of 7-10cm. Arrange them alternating one red thread and one white thread.
2. Begin knotting with the far left thread, and pass twice through all the threads from the right side. Continue knotting for 7-8 cm.
3. Insert the charm in the last 2 threads and continue knotting over it for another 7-8 cm.
4. Finish the bracelet by tying all the threads together and leave a 7-10 cm tail. Braid both tails at the ends of the bracelet. You will use them to tie the bracelet around your wrist.

Puteti realiza aceatsa bratara pentru voi si sa prindeti pe ea toate martisoarele pe care le veti primi sau puteti face mai multe si sa le oferiti celor dragi
You can make this bracelet for yourself and attach all kind of charms on it or you can make more and give them to your loved ones.

O primavara frumoasa!
Have a beautiful Spring!
L.

Minimal Glam

Minimal Glam inseamna luxos fara a fi opulent si incarcat si inseamna minimalist fara a fi banal si simplu. Este deci o combinatie a celor doua stiluri si o caracterista a bratarii pe cae vreau sa v-o arat astazi.
Minimal Glam means luxury without being opulent or heavy and it also means minimal without being flat or boring. It's a mix between the two and it's a characteristic of the cuff bracelet that I want to show you today.

Dar inainte de a trece la treaba vreau sa va spun cate ceva despre materialul din care e facuta. Se numeste Axpet, este produs de Bayer si se aseamana cu plasticul din care sunt facute caserolele. In engleza poate fi confundat cu shrink plasticul, dar diferenta dintre cele doua este ca axpetul nu isi micsoreaza dimensiunile la caldura. Caci da, vom lucra cu caldura deoarece acest plastic se inmoaie si devine maleabil la cald, dar la temperaturi nu foarte inalte. Se gaseste in magazinele de arte plastice la sectiunea arhitectura, fiind folosit si in realizarea machetelor, in coli de diferite dimensiuni si grosimi.
But before we start I would like to tell you a little bit about the material that we will use. It is called Axpet, it's made by Bayer and it's like the food containers plastic. Though it's not the same with shrink plastic because it doesn't shrink under heat. Yes, we will use heat because this plastic becomes flexible and malleable under a heat source, but still we don't need very high temperatures. You can find it in craft stores, in the architecture isle because it is used in modelling, in sheets of different sizes and thickness.
Avem deci nevoie de:
So you'll need:

1. o coala de Axpet de 2mm grosime; 2. cutter; 3. rigla; 4. strasuri; 5. lipici pentru plastic
1. one 2mm thick Axpet sheet; 2. cutter; 3. ruler, 4. rhinestones; 5. plastic glue

1. Masurati-va circumferinta incheieturii, iar din dimensiunea acesteia scadeti 2cm. Masurati apoi si latimea pe care doriti sa o aiba bratara. Folosind rigla si un marker sau creion trasati dimensiunile pe coala de Axpet
2. Taiati Axpetul folosind un cutter foarte bine ascutit
3. Folositi o bucata de smilgher sau o pila pentru a slefui si rotunji marginile
4. Bagati bucata taiata de Axpet in cuptorul incalzit, dar nu incins, pentru 3-5 minute sau pana cand observati ca incepe sa se inmoaie
5. Scoateti Axpetul din cuptor folosind o manusa si infasurati-l repede in jurul unui obiect rotund cam de dimensiunile mainii. Tineti-l infacsurat asa cateva secunde pana se raceste si se intareste
6. Cand s-a racit de tot puteti sa incepeti sa aplicati strasurile asa cum va doriti
1. Measure your wrist and subtract 2cm from that number. Then measure how wide would you like your bracelet to be. using the ruler and a marker or pencil trace those sizes on the Axpet sheet.
2. Cut the plastic using a very sharp cutter
3. Use a piece of sandpaper or a file to smooth the sides
4. Put the Axpet piece in the oven for about 3-5 minutes or until you see that it starts to bend a little
5. Take is out using a mitten and shape it around an object that is the size of your hand. Keep it like this for a few seconds to allow it to cool and harden in this shape  
6. When it cooled off completely start gluing the rhinestones the way you like it.

Aceasta este noua voastra bratara pe care o puteti purta la o rochie neagra de seara sau la o pereche de jeansi albi la birou. Cu siguranta va atrage multe priviri.
And this is your new bracelet which you can wear on a black evening dress or with a pair of white jeans for work. It is definitely very eye catching.   



Spor!
Enjoy!
L.

Sunday Smoothie: Editia de dragobete/Chocolate Strawberry

Smoothie-ul de astazi l-am facut initial de Valentine's Day, dar pemtru ca a picat intr-o joi nu l-am putut posta. Norocul meu ca si noi avem un Valentine's Day autohton, Dragobetele si pica fix intr-o duminca, adica azi. Deci imbratisati-va din nou persoana iubita si mai demonstrati-i o data cat de mult o iubiti pregatindu-i acest smoothie decadent de bun.
Today's smoothie was originally made for Valentine's Day but because it was on a Thursday I couldn't post it. Fortunately in my country there is a national Valentine's Day, called Dragobete and it's celebrated on the 24th of February, meaning on Sunday, today. So even if you're not romanian you have another reason to hug your beloved ones and show them your love by making this decadent delicious smoothie.   

Missing Art is still Art

Cine a zis ca un tablou nu poate sta fara rama si o rama nu poate sta goala? As vrea sa-l contrazic si sa-i demonstrez prin tutorialul de azi ca o rama goala, dar mai ales mai multe rame goale la un loc pot deveni foarte usor un wall art de invidiat. Mai ales daca e vorba de niste rame vintage, sculptate.
Am ineput sa colectionez rame vechi cand m-am mutat in noua casa, in timpul renovarilor, cand am gasit la piata de vechituri cateva rame mici la un pret de nimic. Si pentru ca in final dormitorul meu a ajuns sa fie alb cu accente de albastru inchis, am vopsit toate ramele in nunate de albastru si le-am agatat asa goale deasupra patului. Efectul este super si look-ul este unul shabby chic.
Who said that a painting is not complete without a frame and that a frame can't hang empty? I beg to differ and I want to show with this tutorial that an empty frame, or even better more empty frames put together can easily become a beautiful wall art. Especially if they are vintage sculpted frames.
I started collecting old frames when we moved in our new home, during renovation, when I found a few of them , very very cheap, at the local flea market. And because the final colors of my bedroom were white and navy blue, I've painted all these frames in various shades of blue and hanged them over my bed. They are very cute and have a shabby chic look.