C'était le bon temps, j'avais 20 ans...
mais Ferrer (el Nino) le dit bien : "regardons devant, même si l'avenir n'est pas
rose, loin de là..."
bientôt 34
(est-ce un calibre ?)
ça s'arrange pas
ça s'arrose pas.

Nick - "Ten."

Valancy Jane and Nick in unison - "Nine."

Rose - "Hm?"

Valancy Jane and Nick in unison - "Eight."

Rose - "What?"

Valancy Jane and Nick in unison - "Seven."

Rose - "What?"

Valancy Jane and Nick in unison - "Six."

Rose - "What?!" *looking around*

Valancy Jane and Nick in unison - "Five."

Rose - "WHAT?"

Valancy Jane and Nick in unison - "Four."

Rose - "What is going on?"

Valancy Jane and Nick in unison - "Three."

Rose - "WHATWHATWHAT?"

Valancy Jane and Nick in unison - "Two."

Rose - "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA."

Valancy Jane and Nick in unison - "One."

Rose - *burps* "Oh."

This photo was taken in the garden outside my gallery. For a while there was a little colony of these tiny frogs living on and around this rosebush. I kept my camera at the shop for a week or so, and each day I checked what they were up to, until one day I found something worth shooting. This rose is called the Montville Rose (at least that's what they call it in Montville), so it is a nice image local to the area.

Don't forget to visit me at www.naturesimage.com.au

.. and never do.

I know in at least 2 cases it's probably just a matter of not being able to get to it yet, but in others I'm not sure what's going on.

For a while I was scared I'd say "yes" to too many and have trouble paying everyone quickly. Now that out of maybe 20 people who I have selected, I only have three models paid and three sets out of those 20, I do not have that worry any longer. I am way under budget. Stupidly under budget.

The money just sits there all sad like saying "please give me away" with a big frown. I keep comforting it, but nothing works except being able to say "yes, I will send you to a model soon". But I just can't lie to it. It would be wrong.

But most sad of all is that so many of them would have been so perfect. :(

Back to the drawing board as they say.

In the meantime, members of my site will finally see a model other then me!

(see inset image)

Sometime today, even.

Gorgerous rose pop-up card! My imaginary project list is getting longer and longer!

Anyway... Today I had more cookies. They were yummy. And I had shrimpies for lunch. And a mater sammich. And I talked to Daddy B for a long time today. I can't wait until he takes me out to lunch. It will be fun fun. I went to Walgreens today. Had to get my medicine. I got these light-up sticks for trick-or-treating for Halloween. They're really cool. You can turn them on so they blink, or so they stay on. I got a blue one and a white one. Then I went to the grocery store and got some Honey Nut Cheerios. I got to watch Backyardigans, but I missed Blue's Clues again. For dinner, I had barbecue burgers! I love barbecue burgers. And I had root beer and orangeade. I need to get some gummy worms. I can't wait for Halloween! -giggles- But I need a costume.

Oh, and I have a rose!

Nu s-au schimbat multe, sarutul tau e la fel de dulce si acum, privirea ta la fel de zambitoare si curioasa, poate ne-am maturizat putin, dar in niciun caz nu a devenit absolut nimic o rutina (poate doar felul de a spune noapte buna)...

Cum a inceput ziua? A sunat telefonul din camera... Era Marius, vroia sa plecam la facultate sau ceva de genu. Primul curs era Game Design (la care nu eram inscris, dar o sa imi schimb cursurile, o sa afli si de ce). Andreea era inscrisa la acel curs, dar dimineata cand am intrat pe net, dupa ce ma trezise Marius, am vorbit cu ea si mi-a spus ca nu s-a tinut (super tare, deci nu am pierdut nici macar primul curs).

Te-am suparat putin cu atitudinea mea oarecum impunatoare sa ramai acasa, dar am vrut sa-ti fac o surpriza... probabil privirea ta a fost PRICELESS. Ma bucur ca am putut sa te fac cu adevarat fericita macar pt o clipa, ca am avut ocazia sa-ti arat ca te ador!

La facultate primul meu curs a fost Computer Networks. Am fost foarte dezamagit si dupa primele 5 minute am decis sa renunt la curs sau sa imi iau un inca un curs pentru ca asta e pierdere de timp. De ce? Pentru ca e curs Cisco, e-learning style, adica totul e online in afara de examenele finale, ai toata materia in fata ta si gata. Profesorul chiar nu mi se pare de treaba, il intrebi ceva in engleza si se uita la tine ca mata la calendar si iti raspunde aproape sigur altceva decat l-ai intrebat. Nu te poti intelege cu el (si vorbeste atat de repede incat mananca literele, nu le pronunta...). In cazul in care pot avea mai mult de 36 credite pe semestru, cum intentionez acum, o sa pastrez si Computer Networks, altfel o sa raman la Gamedesign.

Ne-a tinut proful o ora de introducere aratand site-ul cisco... pff... n-am cuvinte ce dezamagit sunt... Dupa aceasta experienta neplacuta am luat un autobuz (16 DKK) pana in centru si m-am dus sa iau bicicleta. Acolo au pus la punct bicicleta si m-am intors pe ea. Bestial bicla, merge silent, schimba vitezele aproape fara sa simti, suspensiile sunt ok (abia simt denivelarile)... Aaa, mi-am luat si un lant antifurt :)) e mai groasa decat cablul de antena si mi-au dat 5 chei rezerva, e foarte tare.

Am parcatbicicleta in subsolul facultatii si m-am dus sa beau ceva de la cantina pe care am gasit-o inchisa, dar avea automat. Am luat un pepsi si mi-au picat 2 beri si un pepsi... Cei dinaintea mea nu au reusit sa ia berile, se blocasera inauntru (nu stiam asta ca altfel nu bagam bani in aparat). M-am dus la urmatorul curs cu 2 beri si cu un pepsi, ceea ce la ei este foarte normal (sa te duci cu mancare si bautura la tine).

Cursul se numeste Object-Oriented System Analysis and Design si mi-a placut la nebunie. Doi tipi tineri predau UML (Unified Modeling Language) si multe alte chestii mishto. Si asta a fost un curs interactiv ca si cel de Project Management, si aici am facut echipe si am lucrat putin impreuna, etc. A fost ok...

Abia seara am aflat reactia ta si confirmarea de la tine ca ai primit florile. Inca o data happy anniversary si la multi ani ingerashul meu scump! O viata frumoasa sa avem impreuna puiu' meu. Te pup. Noapte buna. Ma culc si eu cu gandul la tine si cu muuulte aminitir frumoase din anul petrecut cu tine. Te ador!

Sz.sz.a.r.cs.a.j.a.sz.

ho preparato una tela fresca fresca

l'ho tessuta di prati e primavera

intinta qua e là con schizzi di cielo e di pervinca

morbidissime nuvole di mussola

a forma di capretta una bella bicicletta

per ogni suo piede una tenera scarpetta di taffetas.

Ho preso la misura giusto giusto dall'immenso

dall'azzurro dei suoi occhi appena appena sbocciati.

Su una morbida coperta liscia di raso verde  lascio

il caldo acceso di un vivo giallo girasole

una ballata di grilli cantori e il soprano di una cicala

dentro un laghetto di fresco piquet

una cova di sogni da pescare tra pesci rossi e stelle di mare

ricamate con amore  filo per filo dal gomitolo del cuore

e

lassù

lungo l'orlo del saluto

lascio un volo di airone a sorreggere l'aquilone di un suo tenero sorriso

poco più in là un nido di rondini e colibrì

è il tetto di una casa

una  lumaca sognatrice

appena nata  si affaccia sull'alba

di ogni suo dì.

fata ferni

Une petit’ âme
Guenièvre
un pétal de vie
une promesse de respirer
un’éspoir d’effeuiller
doucement
un murmure de quelques vers
pour ne pas te réveiller
encore.

fata rose

a tibe, fitza mea,
a ti donare alas d’astore
chi colan furrìande s’aghera
moghende sas nues
ghettandesi
intr’e sa bida
chin tirriàdas de bentu…

…menduledda,
froricheddu de beranu…
cras manzanu
b’est su sole
si poden gai
mirare sos ocros tuos
e sas pinturas
peri chircande
ballos e sintzos
petzi pro tene
nobos e galanos.. adìosu, a crasa e a metzus biere!

fata api

Isé picinìnô
un miràcol del Signùr
E pensà che tè sét za tötô lé
programàdô
i caèi i öcc la buchìnô
e forse apò ‘l caràter
Tè laùret dé e nòt
a ricamàt
a belazìne
che nϋsϋ s’ancòrz
gnà la tò mamô che la dòrmô
gnà la nónô che zà la ta öl bé.

fata rose

un abito cucito a mandorlina, una morbida vestina per ginevra piccolina, tessuto di fate e sete di sogno, lino e merletto per il piccolo letto, con figure in crinolina per una splendida cara bambina, un nido d'affetto, un nodo di voci, un mazzetto di baci e ghirlande di auguri, un coro di bene e una stoffa di trame, una storia e un ricamo d’amore.

Là dietro i tuoi occhi
si accenderanno stelle addormentate
si involeranno cascate nei colori dell'iride
abiterai la casa del respiro
sarai figlia di luce e acqua di mare

apprendista fata elina

U’ Scazzamurrill

Stanotte è arrivato
non ha rotto i vetri delle finestre
nè si è seduto sulla mia pancia addormentata
gli avevo lasciato dei sassolini nelle pantofole
un paio di scarpe da calzare
mi ha chiesto vuoi cocci o soldi
cocci gli ho risposto
Ha regalato dolcetti e monete per la mia bambina

fata camilla

Rose con la sua ....zucca fatata..e chi la smuove e la sveglia più:Capace di restare addormentata per 400 giorni come fossero due minuti,solo due minuti.

api,rose,ferni in confezione da viaggio.

fata camilla...che non si vuol far trovare e...elina. la fata più piccolina..solo 157   anni

]]> http://personalwinebuyer.wordpress.com/?p=1153 Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:43:50 +0000 tom@personalwinebuyer.com http://personalwinebuyer.wordpress.com/?p=1153 Summer might be over, but that doesn't mean I am going to stop drinking rosé. Many consider it to be a summer wine, but rosé wines are also extremely food friendly (especially with hard to pair fare like Indian and Chinese), so they often find a place on my table no matter what the season.

This rosé from Domaine La Blaque is a blend of 50% cinsault, 30% grenache, 10% syrah and 10% vermentino. It is made by a combination of saignée ("bleeding" of the tank) and direct pressing of the dark-skinned grapes to capture the best elements of each method. The cinsault and much of the grenache are pressed, a method that results in superbly fresh wines with great aromatic elegance. About 1/3 of the grenache, and all of the syrah and vermentino, are made with the saignée method, giving them deeper color, more structure, and more intense fruit. The grapes treated by these two methods are fermented separately and then blended.

The wine reminded me a lot of the Mas des Bressades Rosé. Strawberries, white flowers and white pepper come through on the nose. On the palate, candied cherry and watermelon, white peach, lychee, rose water and white pepper. Vibrant acidity and an elegant, clean finish.

I would add this to my list of top rosés of the year and it would make my short list with the Mas des Bressades Rosé and Chateau D’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé 2006 (my perennial favorite Rosé).

I purchased this wine at Arrowine. It was offered at $16 a bottle (6 bottle price) as one of their weekly email offers. Arrowine continues to impress me for their selection, customer service and obvious commitment to being the best neighborhood wine (and cheese) shop in the greater DC area.

I also purchased the Domaine La Blaque Viognier 2006, VDP Portes de Mediterranée, which the owner of Arrowine called the best Viognier he has ever tasted for under $50. That is a pretty bold statement -- stay tuned for my notes.

Recommended.

Luckyscent Notes: Calabria bergamot oil, geranium bourbon oil, orange flower absolute, Turkish rose absolute, green absinthe oil, lavender barreme oil, lavandin abrialis oil, lavandin green absolute, lavandin green concrete, Indonesian patchouli oil, oak moss extract, costus oil, ambrarome absolute, vanilla bean absolute, tonka beans

Date: 9/3/08 Weather: 70 degrees, evening

Comments: Huge citrus / lavender blast - almost mentholic. Very masculine. Very intense. Within 10 minutes, dries down to a lavender with wood, citrus and a hint of vanilla. Still very masculine. Almost soapy. For whatever reason, Old Spice comes to mind - though I'm not sure there are many similarities. 20 minutes in - more amber. Still very masculine. 60 minutes in - more vanilla. Still very masculine. 2 hours in - finally turning into something I can wear - a vanilla / amber blend with just a hint of soapy lavender. 5 hours in - has turned into the drydown for The Gingerbread Crackhouse. I wore this yesterday so I am not sure whether it is the Posset coming back or the actual drydown of this scent. I will need to try this again another time.

Perfume Smellin Things
Basenotes
Notes on Shoes, Cake and Perfume
Daniel Tharp
Perfume Posse

Alternately titled, Wherein I go everywhere, do everything, and my feet hurt. The last week has been a whirlwind, and I'm finally unwinding, going through all the pictures, throwing out all the recipts, and rubbing my poor, poor neck.

I promise to tell you everything, starting tonight, with lots of pictures, and a curious incident that happened in ol' Chinatown.

Canon EOS 400D - TV: 1/40 - AV: 5.6 - ISO 100 - EF 28 - 300 mm bei 300 mm

Before dining at the North Fork Table & Inn for our first anniversary, Carlos and I visited a few wineries, including Lenz Winery, Bedell Cellars, Peconic Bay, and Waters Crest-all located on the North Fork, far from where we honeymooned a year ago, when we toured Sonoma, Mendocino, and Anderson and Alexander Valleys on the west coast.  And because we zipped in and out of Lenz and Waters Crest without inspiration, I devote this post to the wines and locals that did incite our delight.

Once a potato barn, built in 1919, the tasting room at Bedell Cellars was named one of the top 25 tasting rooms in America by Wine Enthusiast magazine.  An elegant site with white washed cathedral ceilings and walls that house the art collection of Bedell's owner, Michael Lynne, the tasting room is adjacent to the Pavillion, a large mahaogany deck overlooking the vineyards and surrounded by flowers and herbs, a harmonious setting that is nothing short of divine.

The wines certainly live up the expectations one acquires when passing through the door, and since their Musée was not on the tasting list, we settled for the $8 Estate pouring that offered one white, one rosé, and two reds.

The 2007 First Crush White, 88% Chardonnay and 12% Viognier, complimented the oysters we shucked at Portland Head Light, in Maine.  A shade of pale green straw, this wine was full of peach and minerality on the nose and somewhat floral with a touch of light spice.  The steely texture showed clear that this vintage was aged in nothing but stainless, and though not quite a steal at $18, it was worth every cent.

Corey Creek, the sister winery of Bedell, makes an excellent rosé, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.  Light salmon in color and full of light and tangy fruit, this smooth rosé possessed watermelon on the nose and finished dry-the perfect accompaniment to any sunset.

I regret having arrived at Peconic Bay a year too late.  By mistake, I was poured a taste of their 2005 Steel Fermented Chardonnay, pale and steely, minerally, and slightly bitter, this lovely wine lingered long, but not long enough to stay in stock.  After being told that (oops!) that was their last bottle, I was offered their 2006 vintage, which was like being served a tropical fruit salad when I really wanted skate.  What a difference a year can make!  Fruity and slightly tangy (star fruit), this vintage was the victim of too much rain...if only I could turn back the clock.

The 2006 Riesling suffered a similar result.  The petrol on the nose couldn't save this one, which was much too sweet, almost syrupy; a far cry from the 2005 vintage, which I'd enjoyed in the spring at Brooklyn Uncorked!  Unfortunately, they were out of that one too.  

Like most of the reds I'd tasted on the North Fork, theirs were a little too green.  

If independently wealthy, I would have a purchased a bottle of their dessert wine, Polaris ($45), with aromas of apricot and peach.  Thick and sweet with a bit of pineapple, this wine would make an excellent martini when poured with vodka, or so I was told (and teased).  Empty handed, I passed through the door, my senses lingering on what could have been.

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Each year he sent her roses, and the note would always say, "I love you even more this year, than last year on this day. My love for you will always grow, with every passing year." She knew this was the last time that the roses would appear.She thought, he ordered roses in advance before this day. Her loving husband did not know, that he would pass away. He always liked to do things early, way before the time. Then, if he got too busy, everything would work out fine.She trimmed the stems, and placed them in a very special vase. Then, sat the vase beside the portrait of his smiling face. She would sit for hours, in her husband's favorite chair. While staring at his picture, and the roses sitting there.

A year went by, and it was hard to live without her mate. With loneliness and solitude, that had become her fate. Then, the very hour, as on Valentines before, The doorbell rang, and there were roses, sitting by her door.She brought the roses in, and then just looked at them in shock. Then, went to get the telephone, to call the florist shop. The owner answered, and she asked him, if he would explain, Why would someone do this to her, causing her such pain?"I know your husband passed away, more than a year ago," The owner said, "I knew you'd call, and you would want to know. The flowers you received today, were paid for in advance. Your husband always planned ahead, he left nothing to chance.There is a standing order, that I have on file down here, And he has paid, well in advance, you'll get them every year. There also is another thing, that I think you should know, He wrote a special little card...he did this years ago.Then, should ever I find out that he's no longer here, That's the card...that should be sent, to you the following year."She thanked him and hung up the phone, her tears now flowing hard.Her fingers shaking, as she slowly reached to get the card.

Inside the card, she saw that he had written her a note. Then, as she stared in total silence, this is what he wrote... "Hello my love, I know it's been a year since I've been gone, I hope it hasn't been too hard for you to overcome.I know it must be lonely, and the pain is very real. For if it was the other way, I know how I would feel. The love we shared made everything so beautiful in life. I loved you more than words can say, you were the perfect wife.You were my friend and lover, you fulfilled my every need. I know it's only been a year, but please try not to grieve. I want you to be happy, even when you shed your tears. That is why the roses will be sent to you for years.When you get these roses, think of all the happiness, That we had together, and how both of us were blessed. I have always loved you and I know I always will. But, my love, you must go on, you have some living still.Please...try to find happiness, while living out your days. I know it is not easy, but I hope you find some ways. The roses will come every year, and they will only stop, When your door's not answered, when the florist stops to knock.He will come five times that day, in case you have gone out. But after his last visit, he will know without a doubt, To take the roses to the place, where I've instructed him, And place the roses where we are, together once again.

Kind of looks like a mini pomegranate or a purple tomato. I've never grown rugosas, but they make a good tough plant for the street garden as long as you are willing to prune out their suckers. The flowers aren't as showy or fragrant as hybrid roses, but they are virtually disease-free and don't seem to require nearly so much care. The hips are even edible, and they contain a ton of Vitamin C.

'Distant Drums,' a very hardy and rapidly repeating modern shrub rose.