Coming Soon...!

ten little fingers,

ten little toes,

two little eyes,

one little nose!

but boy or girl,

nobody knows!

P.S.: for the record, that's how it's going to be till the baby is born! Due November 2018!

Introducing...

...our first addition to the family:

Our baby girl Abigail Sofia (Bia for short), born January 24th at 17:14 hours and weighing 2,76 kg!

I know this blog post is more than four months overdue, plus I have no idea whether this blog is still read by anyone. However, one of my favourite sayings is "better late than never". Amidst giving birth in a different country to that where I live, becoming a mother, still being a wife, and catching up with studies, housework, and - yes, sleep, I haven't really had a chance to sit down and write on the blog.

Now I have, and I take the chance to let you know about this huge change in our lives! Little Bia is a funny, sweet baby who has just started to sleep well. She started out tiny, and is now wearing six and nine month old clothes. Everything that she manages to grab goes into her mouth, and she loves cooing, squealing and screaming. True to her name, she fills our days with joy!

I Am Not Alone

Running errands and talking on the phone,

I am pleasantly reminded that I am not alone.

Little tiny hands, a precious rounded knee

pushing and twisting that no one can see.

Oh sweet child kicking up your heels,

it is our little secret that only I can feel.

I look forward to your birth,

when I can kiss your skin,

but for now I will just smile,

as I feel you play within.

- Author Unknown

Happy New Year

Dear family and friends,

While the previous year transitions have not meant anything else to me other than time with my family and plenty of music and laughs, for some unknown reason, I have looked forward to changing to 2016 very much, and was very expectant. Now we are here I feel unexplainably joyous and excited, and, excuse the cliché, but I literally can't wait to see what is ahead of us.

To all of you, many blessings and much happiness in this new year we've started. I hope your time is full of everything you need and may you be showered with love!

Three Weeks...

...of Mediterranean beaches to walk along and pine tree forests to hike.
...of sunny, mild weather and not too cold temperatures.
...of bird watching outside the kitchen window at the diverse little 'uns that come to pick at fallen olives.
...of visiting old friends and enjoying catching-up conversations over a cuppa.
...of walking among cobbled streets in old towns and (yes!) taking pictures of worthy-of-note details.

...of staying at my parents' in my old childhood home!

This trip has been long-awaited and hoped for, and it doesn't seem real that we are actually here, that we've actually been here since Monday! Time is flying and I am trying desperately to enjoy every second of our stay here. I know that the parting day will come and we will ask ourselves, WHERE did the time go? Therefore, here is me, leaving in a rush so that I can drink in the beauty of time in Catalonia.

The Adventure Begins

Last January my parents presented me with (one-of) their long-awaited wedding present: a brand new sewing machine all to myself! However, even though it's been a little bit more than six months I haven't officially really "used it for the first time" yet. I haven't done any big project with which I could break the champagne bottle and launch the ship!

Things have changed a little lately, though.

For starters, when my husband and I visited my parents back in April my Mum gifted me with a very cute black-and-white checkered kitchen towel (or dish towel) with a big "True love is a big deal" written on it in pink. As the writing was of some sort of plastic printed material, and it occupied a large area of the towel, therefore rendering it unpractical for drying (let's face it, plastic writing doesn't absorb water very well) she suggested I turn it into an apron. I considered it a capital idea.

Then I received some money from my parents-in-law for my birthday to spend on something nice for myself. Some days ago I finally got around to use that while browsing around eBay for general tools and supplies for sewing and specific supplies for the apron design that I have in mind.

Then I declared myself ready to start off my first real project with my new sewing machine.

I've started out by ripping out the hem seams from the towel. At first I thought I'd use the existing seams for my benefit and use a black/white/pink bias tape for the parts I had to cut out, but in the end I decided I could gain a lot by ripping that hem - it would be a good thing as the towel isn't as big as an apron usually is (I was right, I ended up gaining a good 4 cm in length and width!) and use black/white/pink bias tape (haven't decided on that one yet... any advice on that?) to finish off all the hems and have a balanced, symmetrical look.

Now, after having washed it so that the fabric could settle (there were tiny holes left by the seams) I will iron it (upside-down, of course) and impatiently wait for the supplies to arrive.

One Year Today

I fall more and more in love with him every day. I catch myself daydreaming about him and wondering when he'll be home again, all the time smiling at space like a silly school girl.

I still try to write poetry about him and what I feel for him, and can't manage it because I can't think of the right words or expressions that would say it properly.

I sigh when I think of sweet memories of moments spent together, chuckle when I remember one of his jokes, and laugh outright when a clumsy, comical occurrence comes to mind.

There is so much stored away in my memory, there is so much overflowing my heart, there is so much that has filled our time together.

And yet, only one year has gone by...

...and it has been the fullest time of my life. 

I wonder what will come next?

Spring is Here!

Perhaps this announcement is a little bit belated, but with Spring being here and gracing us with beautiful, warm, sunny weather during the first couple of days she happened along (something new around these parts, believe me...), you will understand the impossibility of me staying indoors.

The weather has gone back to its old self again - cloudy, windy, grey, rather chilly - but it would seem that the little bit of sunshine I managed to soak in during the last couple of days has been enough to have me in the best of spirits this morning!

Without further ado, I will accompany the belated announcement with a beautiful song my Mum posted along with her welcoming of Spring.

This past weekend I found out, though, that in Romania Spring starts on the 1st of March, and Summer starts on the 1st of June. It was stated, therefore, that I was married in Spring and my husband was married in Summer.

Happy week, everyone! Toodle pips!

Engagement Pictures

There aren't that many pictures that I can share from our engagement session. As you've probably noticed, or know already, I follow a no-face-pictures-on-the-Internet policy on my blog, so, as engagement pictures are mostly about the couple, there aren't that many that are face-less.

Nevertheless, allow me to share those which are. Some you may have already seen, some not. Whatever the case is, I hope you like them. :)

We went to two lovely places. The first one was an old town full of beautiful streets with cobbled ground and stone walls, benches in romantic places and ivies hanging over walls. Unfortunately, we don't have any surreptitious pictures from that place - all are of us close up or from a short distance. Sorry.

The second place gave us some opportunities for distanced or secret pictures, and although most of them were also of us, the photographers managed to take several which I can actually show to you. [happy smile]

Enjoy!

We went to a nature reserve - some sort of wetlands, a swampy area full of small lakes and ponds right
by the seashore.

Such sweet narrow wood walks in between the ponds!

I said YES!

The ring. Yep, you've already seen this one... but isn't it a beautiful ring?

I feel so bad that I can't share all of them with you... there are some that are so beautiful! However, if you are a personal acquaintance and you'd like to see more of 'em, you can always e-mail me and I'll send you my favourites!

Introduction

Things have finally relaxed. Our flat is almost completely redecorated, the kitchen is done, my parents have been here and left, and now I find myself with time in my hands - so I blog, among other things.

Today I'd like to introduce you to the newest members of our small household. For a very long time I have wished for them, although my hopes were quite modest and I never expected something like this:

My new aquarium!

I had hoped for a cute fishbowl with a couple of goldfish named Abi and Nepomuceno (Nepo, for short), perhaps a third one eventually, but that was all. Then one day my husband arrived home and asked me, "How would you like to have an aquarium?"

Apparently, some friends of ours who owned it wanted to buy a larger one and expand their fish breeding and, having heard my wish for fish, were willing to start me off with their old one and some fish. I was thrilled! Of course I said yes.

Therefore, allow me to introduce my little 'uns.

Forgive me for being biased, but he's my favourite! Meet Nepomuceno
(Nepo for short), a cardinal tetra.

Nepomuceno used to have a brother named Nemo. The day we went to pick up the aquarium and the fish, our friend had emptied it almost completely in order to be able to fish them out of the water more easily. Somehow, Nemo hid and our friend couldn't find it, and concluded he must have miscounted, or something similar.

The small amount of water and all the stones and plants remained in the aquarium and for an hour were tossed and turned during our drive back home. That evening, as I tried to put some order among them, we found Nemo! Hence the name. He was rather battered and a little bit dumb, but as soon as I put him in with the rest of the fish while I cleaned up the aquarium, he cheered up and ate with the rest.

A couple of days later he died, poor thing. Nepo is rather lonely, and because of the kind of fish he is he needs company, so when we get a chance, my husband and I hope to buy him some friends. [smile] To know more about his kind, click HERE.

Meet Gustavo and his Clan!

Gustavo and his Clan are swordtail fish. We have one male (notice the sword-shaped tail? Beautiful with black streaks) and three females. Because the only one who could be told apart from the rest was the male (the females are all alike, they don't have different physical characteristics) we decided to name him, and the rest as his clan. They reproduce very quickly so I hope to soon present you with a nursery. [smile]

To know more about the different kind of swordtail fish, click HERE.

Meet Abi, Cora and Unnamed-for-now, very orange, very dumb tiger
barbs.

They are also known as the Three Musketeers, although they used to be four. One of them was bullied to death by a swordtail female, so now they are the Three Musketeers. They are absolutely inseparable and quite funny in their dumbness.

We can name them because of their differentiating spots (or lack thereof) on their middle orange section. However, we still haven't memorized them, so for now they are Abi-Cora-Unnamed instead of being this one Cora and that one... you get the idea. We are thinking of a suitable name for the third. Any suggestions? We suspect they're all females...

To know more about tiger barbs, click HERE.

I must not forget the snails! No, the big one isn't their grandpa... it's a
shell I picked up from the shores of the Black Sea.

Included with the fish were plenty of snails. We must keep an eye on them because they reproduce with lightning speed and may become pests. However, I'm glad to see that the swordtails are keeping them at bay for now. They seem to really enjoy eating them up.

Who would know that one day I would own an aquarium and several fish, not just a fishbowl with two or three? Like I sometimes tell my husband jokingly, I have a new TV! Honestly, I have to check myself sometimes because I could sit down in front of it and watch the fish swim and play all day! My fishies are great and I really enjoy taking care of them!

It happened

It seems that lately I am relying too much on the "better late than never" expression. I should have posted this announcement some seven months ago! However, as we didn't have engagement pictures back then, it is just as well that I waited.

So, what happened, you wonder?

This did:

On the 3rd of January 2014 the man of my dreams asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. I said YES!

How did he manage to pick out the perfect ring?!

Then, this did, about five months later:

On the 7th of June 2014 the love of my life and I said "I do" together and started our life as a married couple.

Do you realize what this means? This means I'm no longer living with my parents, but with my husband in our own sweet little flat some three thousand kilometres away. It means that I get to cook, clean and do laundry all by myself. It's no longer "helping mother", it's just me. It also means that I get to spend every day with the one that my heart loves for the rest of my life! I know it's cliché and cheesy, but... it is like having a slumber party every night with your best friend and you talk about everything till you fall asleep!

And people... I'm loving it!

On Weddings and Photography

Once again you find me in Romania. Wondering why I haven't been posting for some time? I always have a ready excuse. [wink] For the past month or more I have been preparing myself to photograph my third wedding - meaning, hurriedly finishing unfinished photography projects, studying and pouring over photography and wedding books and webpages, all this combined with the usual housework, teaching job, and... not so much sleep.

A couple of days ago, as I was working with the bride on her big day, I commented, "Well, there's always a first for everything!" And this was my very first Romanian wedding. Oh, what a pleasure it was to work with this couple! I enjoyed it very much and hope it won't be the last!

I can't give you a sneak-peek yet... due to luggage limitations, I don't have my computer whit me, so 'till I go home I won't be able to start working with the pictures. Furhtermore, the bride and groom are to be the first ones to see the pictures, so it will still take some time yet.

'Till then, I will leave you and the computer to enjoy my time here with my sweetheart. Here's another excuse for my future absence! [bigsmile]

Sending You to...

... Lady Violet's Garden, 

where my Mum has started a blog! :D

:D

As winter break approaches and I look forward to my next trip, I also am very excited about the free time it will provide, free time which will be used to work on this autumn's pictures!
I have been so busy studying these three months I have hardly had time to spend on other things. This is why most of the summer pictures from Colombia and most of the pictures I've taken lately have not yet seen the light of day. So much so that I have not even gotten the SD card out of the camera to check out the pictures I've taken these past two months.
Oh well! That will soon change, hopefully! :D You should soon visit my photoblog, just sayin'!

Printed...

...and ready to go! Ladies and gentleman, my project is 100% complete! My parents took it to print this morning, and now it's all nice and bound. This afternoon we received the printed photojournal, too, so I'm ready for next Monday! ^^

Today I had my last exam, which went not really sure how it went well enough, I suppose. The freedom I felt this afternoon after lunch! 

On top of that, I'm getting ready to go out tonight with friends for a birthday celebration at one of my favourite restaurants (not too fancy, but very cozy. plus the owners are lovely people!). This week has been so productive, and I am so happy and thankful about how everything has run smoothly. Thanks to those who've been praying for me! 

Toodles!

Happy New 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)

p.s.: go over to Google Search and paste: (sqrt(cos(x))*cos(200 x)+sqrt(abs(x))-0.7)*(4-x*x)^0.01, sqrt(9-x^2), -sqrt(9-x^2) from -4.5 to 4.5

*Breathes in and Prepares to Scream*

Yipee!

I am done with this school year!! I have officially finished all my final exams and, yesss, a long summer awaits for me!

What can I say? I had an amazing school year, thank God! I am so grateful for all the new people I've gotten to meet and for all the stuff I've learnt, as well as for all the awesome teachers I've had this year. I'm going to miss them during summer!

I'll see most of them again in September, though... and some of them sooner than that, hopefully! [I haz a happy!]


You'll see plenty of me from now on. :-) Stay tuned!

Final Race

This is actually how I looked yesterday night,
and how my desk is looking like right now. :P

Yes, I'm into the final race. Meaning I start my finals on Monday.

I'll be done with school on Friday the 3rd!

As of now, I'm studying hard, enjoying the weather, staying happy, munching on dried nuts and cold drinks, and man, ain't I thankful for a joyful attitude towards non-stop studying! [smile]

Just one week, and I'll start summer vacations. Yay! I hope my final exams go well, so I'd appreciate if you could pray about them. I have had an amazing time in school, but I'm ready for some free time to do my own projects. I have so many things planned for this summer! I'm very excited about it.

Have a nice weekend!

One Week Long Rest

I can't believe I already have a break from school. I've been in school for a month and a half, and it's incredible how fast this time has gone by. School keeps me so busy...! With so much to do I don't seem to have enough time in my hands, and thus it just flies by!

But now, I finally have a break. I have one whole week without going to school! I have time to breather! To relax! To break the routine! Yay!

Please don't think I'm going to just sit and scratch my nose all day long. That is not like me at ALL! No way... no, I'm going to spend some days in Holland. Yep, I'm going back there. I'm going to see my lovely best friend again! And I'm going to see my lovely Netherlands again, too. And all my friends there. And hopefully, some snow! I'm so excited about it, even though it's going to be short.

You might be asking yourself, how is school life going? Or, probably the right question would be, she's back in school?! Yep, ladies and gentlemen, I'm back in school. Since the 20th January, to be more precise. It's tons of fun, and although I have lots of work and I have to study very hard, I enjoy it so much! I am very thankful about it too because it really trains my self-discipline and responsability. Besides, you discover so many things...! Did you know that race-cars use nitrogen for their wheel tyres? If they used normal air, since it contains a small ammount of humidity, depending on the pressure changes in the atmosphere the tyres would also change pressure and size. Plus, if they used helium or hydrogen, the size of their particles is so small they would be able to squeeze in between the pores of the tyre material.

I've also discovered a love for Literature in general. It used to bore me to death but somehow (and partly thanks to my Spanish Lit. teacher), I've discovered that it really interests me. I really enjoy reading a poem in Catalan and Spanish now, and reading about the different artistic movements and the influence they had on art.

In case you're wondering what subjects I take, I take Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Catalan Literature, Spanish Literature, CMC, Philosophy, and English. I also have P.Ed, but I don't really count it in as a subject. English doesn't really count either, because I am so much ahead of the level they have over here; they still make me come out and do oral presentations and speakings, though. It's fun.

Well, I thought it was time for a little update. I'll keep anyone who's interested posted!

Ponderings On Collections

During my life, I have seen my friends collect many different things, most of them interesting, pretty, old, etc. I have seen people collect toy cars; people collect stamps; people collect seashells; people collect dry leaves and flowers; I collect key-rings.

But have you ever considered collecting...

...SOCKS?

My Uncle and Auntie gave me these socks for Christmas 2007 and ever since I've been attracted by... weird socks. Freaky socks. Colourful socks. Stripey socks. Call them what you will.

This is just the start.