Flights of Fancy

The Tatton Park is one of my favourite places in Cheshire. The landscaped gardens are stunning and walking through the deer park is breathtaking.

In the third edition of the Tatton Park Biennial (May12-Sep30), the theme chosen is flight. Twenty artists created large-scale outdoor installations. The one in the picture is Olivier Grossetete's magical bridge, which is held aloft by huge helium balloons. 

My imagination takes off when I look at this work. 

New porcelain stoneware

I don't usually like imitations. For example, laminate flooring never achieves the beauty and elegance of wood flooring.

However, this new porcelain stoneware looks natural and is of good quality. It brings warmth and sophistication to the ambience.

Do I have to tell you that it is an Italian product? It is the italians, always the Italians, who have this sense of good taste installed in their genes.

If you like it, have a look here.

The flower of my secret

It is cold and raining outside but, regarding to fashion and design, spring has arrived. Roses, orchids, daffodils and whole gardens appear in dresses, shoes and also in interior design accessories. No doubt that the trend at the moment is a floral explosion.

Blugirl

The Type Case

Type cases were manufactured from around 1890 to the 1960s and used in printing offices to store the various letters of a typeface.

As mechanical typesetting become more common, the need for type cases began to diminish.

Nevertheless, the idea was born: due to the advantages of their arrangement scheme, collectors became interest in them.

And shortly after that, shelves with the same system started to be produced to decorate people’s homes. 

In the 1970’s they appeared in living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms in different sizes and types.

Kids used them to display their small toys, miniature figures or gadgets.

Nowadays they are not very in but we can still find some type cases bringing nostalgia to spaces.



This original type case belongs to Gabi Keller, a powerful 83-year-old lady that travels around Europe in her trailer and collects lots of souvenirs.

Swiss lemon cake

A very easy cake to prepare. My family loves it and guests always ask for the recipe. God save Betty Bossi!

250g butter

250g sugar

5 eggs

2 lemon (zest)

250g flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 pinch of salt

Syrup: 

1 dl lemon juice

100 g icing sugar

Beat the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest and mix well. Whisk the eggs gradually into the butter mixture, beating well between each addition.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold it into the cake mixture.

Bake for approximately 60 minutes in a preheated oven (180C).

Let the cake cool and then pierce holes in the cake with a skewer and pour over the syrup.

The syrup is the secret of this cake because it makes the cake moist and sweet.

Bon appetit!

Discovering Terence Conran

I am reading "A Sort Of Autobiography" and discovering the delightful personality of the English designer Terence Conran.

Once asked to describe himself in ten words, Terence answered:

"Ambitious, mean, kind, greedy, frustrated, emotional, tiresome, intolerant, shy, fat." 

And a huge sense of humor, 

I guess...

Navegar é preciso

Navegar é preciso; viver não é preciso.

Foto: Magnolia Brussi

Quero para mim o espírito desta frase, 

transformada a forma para a casar como eu sou:

Viver não é necessário;

o que é necessário é criar.'

Fernando Pessoa