The most beautiful flower in Rome

If we are in April. And in Rome. What's the most beautiful flower here? Mmm, yes. Carciofo romanesco!

On duty

Mom is very safe in her kitchen while I'm on duty on Pancake Day or Martedi Grasso as we say it here it Lugano.

We got this fireman cap for his themed birthday party, but I had hidden it as it didn't look that nice initially. Yesterday I took it out and L. doesn't go anywhere without it. Even in the playground of Quartiere Maghetti it was sitting in my handbag. Next to the treasured branch he got from gardeners on the way to the centre. Just being a kid, you know...

such an angel face...

Just between us

It's just me and you...

I love this side of being a mother.

And this side of being a photographer. To be there to see and capture. It's a true gift. Isn't it?

Sweet Valentine Day and the winner

Sweet sweet Valentine Day to all of my readers. Do you celebrate it? I don't. But I couldn't resist to treating myself and my loved ones with those beautiful and most delicious cakes. ok, I didn't bake them, they were a treat from a well known and admired cafe Al Porto in Lugano. They are as good as they look, trust me on that!

Back to business. Today we announce the winner of the giveaway with Friendly toys. First of all thank you so much for participating!  and here is the lucky reader... Ah, I used random.org to choose one of the lucky comment and it is

Renata, please contact me and we will arrange how you can get your preferred toy - wooden toy plane.

And meanwhile we were admiring their work, Friendly toys presented one more creation - wooden pirate. Isn't it cute?

Friendly toys giveaway!

Finalmente! Finally! Ecco qui la sorpresa che vi stavo preparando.  Prima in italiano e poi in inglese.

Ci sono un paio di novità. 

Sono su facebook! 

Ho trovato dei nuovi amici!

Vi presento Friendly toys. Li ho trovati su uno dei 'style' blogs che seguo e mi sono innamorata dell' idea. Fatti a mano, tutto naturale - di legno, anche colorati in modo naturale. Un giocattolo molto speciale che loro vorrebbero regalare a uno dei miei fans! 

Come partecipare? 

Vi basta:

1. Essere un fan della mia pagina su Facebook - se non lo sei ancora, clicca qui

2. Visitare il negozio di Friendly toys 

3. Lasciare un commento per farmi sapere quale sia il vostro giocattolo preferito. 

Il giveaway inizia oggi e termina il 14 Febbraio 2012 ore 11.00 GMT+1

Il vincitore sarà annunciato su questo blog. In bocca al lupo!

So here is the first (but not the last one, I promise) giveaway on my blog. This time it's with Friendly toys, beautiful handcrafted wooden toys. I promise, your toddler will love them. Mine chose a little family, although he wanted to keep everything I got from them: the snail, and the tractor (I love the wooden logs it caries), and his favorite was a cute sheep. To be honest, I also wanted to keep them all for myself. If not to play, as a nice reminder of a childhood on my bookshelf.

Anyway. If you love them as much as I do, Friendly toys have one toy for a giveaway. To enter you need to

1. Be my fan on facebook, click here if you are not there yet
2. Check out Friendly toys Etsy shop and
3. Leave a comment below which toy you would love to win

That's it. The giveaway starts now till 11.00 GMT+1, 14 February 2012

The winner will be chosen from comments published below and announced on this blog.

To spread the love, you can also visit their facebook page and tell them I sent you.

Winter stuff

I'm from the North, east side of the Baltic Sea where we were used to having all four seasons and one that I miss the most when in Lugano is freezing cold winters.

What is a real winter? It's around the time when Santa Claus brings you a wooden train set you've dreamed about and befana brings you lots of sweets, because you've been such a good boy. It's when everything stops when you watch the snow storm from your kitchen window. And when you take your mum out for a walk in the snow. This is winter, my friends...