Mamachari

Do you know what a "mamachari" is? You could say it's bicycle, and you'll be right, but it's much more than that. It's a way of thinking and a lifestyle. I wish some day I can see by myself all the daddies and mammies carrying their children by pairs. For some time I though in having my mamachari style bicycle, but it wouldn't be the same here. Not because is not Japan, but because in my city (Valencia) is quite dangerous. I've been too many times in the bus looking the poor cyclists on the road with the cars and buses too near to them. It's crazy, half of the city doesn't have any cycle rack and the half which has is plenty of too fast and disrespectful people. As you can notice I'm quite coward, but we have to be realistic, a bicycle accident can be really serious.

¿Sabes lo que es una "mamachari"? Podrías decir que es una bicicleta, y es cierto que es un tipo de bicicleta, pero es mucho más que eso. Es una manera de pensar, un estilo de vida. Ojalá algún día pueda ver por mi misma todos esos papis y mamis llevando en parejas a sus hijos. Durante un tiempo pensé en hacerme con una bicicleta tipo mamachari, pero no sería lo mismo. No porque esto no sea Japón, sino porque aquí en Valencia es bastante peligroso. He visto a demasiados ciclistas con los coches y buses demasiado cerca de ellos. Es de locos, media ciudad no tiene carril bici, y en la media que sí tiene está lleno de gente que va demasiado rápido o son unos maleducados. Como puedes ver soy bastante miedica, pero hay que ser realistas, un accidente en bicicleta puede ser muy grave.

Photo from here.

But Japan looks to be very different. You can see mamachari in such a big number of photos and they even have mamachari races. I don't have car and I try to go by car/taxi as few as I can. The public transport is cheaper and it doesn't contaminate as much as the cars do. I know for some people it's necessary, but here most people travel by car just because is more comfortable for them, but then they're all the time complaining of the money they have to spend on their cars. When I hear them I feel free, what can I say? It looks like it doesn't give you headaches just for being a little more comfortable for half an hour of journey or so. It doesn't worth it.

Pero Japón parece diferente. Puedes ver mamachari en un montón de fotos e incluso tienen carreras de mamachari. Yo no tengo coche y trato de coger un taxi/coche tan poco como puedo. El transporte público es más barato y contamina tanto. Sé que para algunas personas es necesario, pero la mayoría de gente que va en coche aquí es por comodidad. Pero luego no hacen más que quejarse del dinero que "tienen" que gastar en el coche. Cuando les oigo me siento libre, ¿qué puedo decir? Si lo hacen por comodidad, pero a cambio de preocupaciones y dinero, no veo dónde está la comodidad. Total para media hora de ir y media de volver, o un poco más. No vale la pena. 

But for me, the best advantage of cycling is the view. As you can see on Hiki's blog, it's amazing going for a bike ride around beautiful places. The day I go to Japan, I'll get a mamachari for sure.

Pero para mí, lo mejor de ir en bici son las vistas. Poder parar dónde quieras para hacer una foto del los lugares que más te han llamado la atención. Como puedes ver en blog de Hiki, dar un paseo en bicicleta por lugares bonitos es magnífico. El día que vaya a Japón, seguro que me haré con una mamachari.

Rantamplán

I have been sewing, painting, taking photos and daydreaming those days. And trying to complete my September goals. I didn't go to the gym and I'm not stretching myself out. But I posted more, I passed my FCE exam and some more things, so I deserved a present. I bought this activity journal by Geninne and this book by Margaux Motin. One of the goals for October will be painting/creating more. I'll try to be an artist, well, I already think I am an artist, but I'll improve my art. I'll try to stamp into fabrics and to model some Fimo clay. I have an artist's stuff shopping list, just 3 or 4 things I didn't have yet. If you want to improve your materials I found very useful what Geninne and Afsaneh said.




















As I've been melancholic lately, I found those photos of my pretty boy, actually my brother's pretty boy. He's a great dog and very patient with his crazy ladyfriend. But I always stroke him and I'm the only one who really cares about his walks. He was so sad the first time he arrived here and now he's so happy. I'll adopt a pet someday... I know. I was so happy when my brother told me they had a pet from the street and his name was Rantamplán ( Rantanplan, you know, from Lucky Luke). I think Lucky Luke was my first love. I loved the song and the fact that he was the cowboy known to shoot faster than his shadow. Oh, and he was always travelling with Jolly Jumper with no home and his outfit... too cool for not being in love with him.

By the way, those pics are from April 2012, now he's got more white hair and as every summer, he's more fat. Every summer he eats so many figs, not just the ones which are on the floor, he also jumps (quite a lot) to reach the biggest ones.

Jacques Cousteau

After talking about David Attenborough and the incredible animals I've discovered thanks to him, I remembered my first "contact" with sea life. It was Jacques Cousteau and his comfy wool hat. I love people who is passionate with their jobs, because it means they've fought for doing in life what they want to do. They had a dream and they made it. 

Photo source here

I love watching sea life documentaries, but I'd never go diving. I'm scared of sea, I don't like the feeling of not knowing what you have under your feet, I don't like the sea salt into my eyes, but I do like all the creatures, myths and colours down there. Don't you wonder what kind of gigantic creatures can live into the deepest profundities of the sea? How large can it be a squid? What the narwhals use their tooth for?

Discovering... music

I'm always looking for inspiration, as I don't have (yet) any cat or dog or fancy domestic animal around me. Well, when I visit my brother I spend a lot of time with their lovely and sweet Rantamplán, but that's not every week. Not enough animals for me. By the way, that's him.

Siempre estoy buscando inspiración, ya que no tengo (todavía) ningún gato o perro o animalito doméstico a mi alrededor. Bueno, cuando voy a casa de mi hermano paso mucho tiempo con su encantador y dulce Rantamplán, pero eso no es cada semana, así que tengo falta de animaloides. Por cierto, éste es él.

As I can't spend more time with this tender buddy, I have to find other things. I discovered great music the past weeks, normally thanks to lovely friends, but this time I found this thanks to Grooveshark. I had several recommendations, but I chose this one because of the cover. And it was a good choice!

Como no puedo pasar más tiempo con este dulce amiguito, tengo que encontrar otras cosas. He descubierto música genial estas semanas. Éste grupo lo encontré gracias a Grooveshark. Tenía varias recomendaciones, pero elegí ésta por la portada. Y fue una buena elección.

Artisan Biscuits stamp

As I told you in my last post, I've been quite bored and disappointed with myself lately. That's why I tried to do artful/carft/insiping/happy thing, as carving eraser stamps. I don't know what happens to me when I'm carving, but it's a balm to me. It healths my stress, my sadness and my bad feelings. I guess it's my zen moment, I'd prefer a zen moment with deers, sorrounded by nature, like Whit. But, hey, this is also good.

You can guess I miss having my own apartment and, of course, I miss England. Everyone says Spain is so good, but in Valencia is too hot for me, and people is too noisy. Since I've got a really pale skin, from I was little, the 80% of people is telling me all the time "You should go to the beach" or "Are you angry with the Sun?". And every single time, when I was a teenager, I explained I suffer of dermatitis and I can't sunbathing as they do. After years of having the same conversations over and over I learnt to just smile and say "Hehe, yes", whatever the question is. Why am I telling you all this? Because that's why I'm looking my Notthingham memories almost every day. I kept the boxes of Artisan Biscuits, which I used to eat in my tiny apartment with my hot cup of tea. Oh, I guess I also miss winter (my favourite season ever). 

I decided to make a two parts stamp for adding some colours to the flowers. All my pen pals will have new stamped goodies from now, as I'm carving as crazy! Tell me, do you feel the same while carving?

About oneself space, dreams, cats and coffee

I'm stuck, that's it. I'm spending my time daydreaming about where I will live, what I'll do, how happy I'll be, but not doing anything for changing my actual situation. Well, maybe I'm doing something, but not enough. I know I could be drastic and change all upside down, but I'm keeping that option as a lifeboat. If I have to be honest, I'm not that bad/sad/bored/lost, but I feel like I could be happier. So, for having my mind tidy I made a list with things I'd have to change for improving my happiness level.

1# Move to a place where I can have a tiny spot for crafting-drawing-creating. Creativity has worked always for me like water for plants. If I can't create enough I feel dry and down. Nowadays I have all my craft stuff stacked handy into brown moving boxes. It's true that now I have my bedroom and a large table, but, it's all shared and my family can be REALLY untidy. So I spend more time cleaning the table, disposing the things I'm going to use and then keeping them than creating. I dream with a modest place, nothing special, but cozy and useful. Something like that.

Photo source here

2# Find a job for me or Mr Glass. The worst problem of being unemployed for me is not the money, it's that I don't have challenging goals or any coaching for improving my skills. I'm putting my own goals, like posting more, but I don't have anyone for sharing our good work together. And, why not, having a good place where we can work, maybe as a freelance. And maybe, just maybe, we could work in the same place even if our jobs are completly different.

3# Find an illustrator for my book. When I was in Nottingham I wrote a kids book about the importance of listening carefully what surrounds you. Which would make me happier because I'll have a (temporal) job and someone for working with.

4# Adopt a cat. I've never been living in a place more than 1 and a half year, with my parents' house exception. And neither my mum or Mr Glass have let me adopt a pet, although I love animals like crazy. After asking for a hamster more than one year, my mum let me have a Russian hamster called Peter Albóndiga (meatball). I trained him, and my mum fell in love with Peter. He came to us when we called him and kissed you with his little tongue. He was more like a mini dog than a hamster, but hamster's lifespan is about 3 years or so. Fortunately I have my brother's dog, Rantamplán. He's the sweetest dog ever and he behaves a little like cats because when he was rescued from street he was living with cats.

Anyway, something inside myself tells me that at some point I'll be a cute granny with more than one cat, drinking decorated coffee, feeling in peace and, every day, creating. Of course, I'll have really long white hair in a huge braid. A cute granny artist with a whole life of adventure memories.

Photo source here

Wish list

I have many wish lists. I keep every link of everything I like on my computer. I also write down things that I don't know if they're invented, but I'd like to have. Sometimes I feel like I'm stupid for doing this because I'll always find something special I like for a present or for having it at my future future future home. Another times I think: "after all, things are not so important", but I keep doing it.

Now I think it's just like keeping beuatiful photos from around the civer world. After all, those things I have saved from oblivion are beautiful things. And I love like crazy the "useful-art", as I describe to myself. They're inspiring things. Things which, when I see them, encourage me for being a better person, for taking care of the nature, for being an artist. They also remember me there's always something beautiful in life.

After all this bore, you should think I've got a lot of stuff saved. You're completely right. That's why I'll only show you a couple of thing, he he he. The first one is one of my fave artist. I LOVE the fox, is like a dream!
You can buy it here for 45€. It's quite big, so I think it's a fair price.

Photo source here

And, talking about Lady Desidia, I have also this, this and this in my wish list. My actual notebook of memories is almost full, so this will be the next one (this notebook is already into my desk).

And tones of things from UGUiSU. If I had to choose one of all she has, I think it'll be this gorgeous stamp or one of the amazing furoshiki.

Olivia

¿Conocéis a Olivia? Olivia, jabones de cuidado, así era cuando empecé a seguirle la pista. Ahora tiene de todo, todito, todo. Si os pasáis por su tienda física seguro que morís de amor y al segundo resucitáis por el buen olor. Yo no he ido, pero lo sé. Me lo dice el olor de su paquete, el que me llegó ayer y me alegró la tarde y me quitó los picores. Porque aquí servidora tiene dermatitis atópica desde bien bebé. Que, además de darme algún trauma infantil por los niños malos que hay por el mundo que se reían de mi palidez, me hace ser mamá de unos eccemas que pican más que las gallinas.

Total, que ni crema de corticoides, ni hielo, ni hidratantes mil. Lo que va bien es el bálsamo Móa, que además vale par mil y una cosas. Yo de momento sólo lo he probado para los eccemas de la dermatitis y, aunque no han desaparecido del todo después de ponerme unas 5 ó 6 veces entre ayer y hoy, si que han mejorado mucho y te deja de picar al ratito de ponértelo.

Y es que Olivia tiene en su tienda los más exquisitos productos. Sus jabones vienen presentados tan rebonitos que puedo entender que haya gente que no los quiera abrir. Yo me enamoré del cuño con su nombre, con una tipografía que da envidia irremediablemente. Me encanta que tenga una mis marcas favoritas de galletas, Artisan Biscuits. Me recuerda a cuando las compraba en Nottingham y me las comía con mi té de Williamson tea por las tardes.

Éste es el jabón que yo elegí entre todos. Tuve mala suerte con el mensajero, que no se pasó por casa, así que tardé tres días en tenerlo en vez de al día siguiente, pero en cuánto abrí el paquete se me olvidó la espera. He decidido que el siguiente será el de La vie en rose. La verdad es que estoy deseando que llegue el invierno y el olor a lavanda le va muy bien. Una de las mejores cosas es leer con un jersey de lana bien suave y calentito que huela a lavanda.

Crealoo // Kit de encuadernación

Para quién no conozca Crealoo, es una manera muy fácil de hacer un nuevo proyecto craft. Sólo tienes que elgir entre todos los que tienen y pedirlo. Cuando te llega a casa ya tienes una cajita con todos los materiales y las instrucciones del nuevo proyecto. Yo pedí dos Kits (ya veréis el otro) y esto es lo primero que vi.

Por cierto, quedé muy contenta con el método de envío. Es lo único que no me gusta de comprar por internet, porque tienes que estar esperando al mensajero a ver si viene o no, o si encuentra la dirección, o decirle que es calle peatonal, o que viene y estás en la ducha... Pero aquí tienes la opción de recogerlo en correos o que te lo lleven a casa. Como yo sabía que no me venía bien estar esperando en casa pedí recogerlo y lo tuve en tres días, como me habían dicho. Te avisan en cuanto lo tienen y tú cuando puedes te pasas a por ello y en paces.  Además tienen envío gratis a partir de 24,95€. 

 Cómo véis el kit viene con todo lo necesario, sólo necesité unas tijeras. Elegí cambiar las portadas de mi libreta pequeña porque quise encuadernarla a lo ancho, en vez de el formato que venía en el kit. Tengo unos cuantos papel de scrap y alguno más blandito que me traje de Inglaterra, decidí hacer una libreta un tanto vintage. Quería una libreta finita para llevar encima y que no me pese el bolso. Así que aquí está el resultado de mi primera libreta encuadernada por mí misma. Nada mal, ¿verdad? Y es que viene todo explicadito letra por letra, ¡es imposible hacerlo mal!

 

Como conclusión les doy un 9. Sé que soy bastante exigente y creo que podrían hacerlo perfecto. Sólo tienen a mejorar las erratas en las instrucciones (en éste del cuaderno habían más que en el otro) y la calidad de algunos de los papeles que incluyen. Por lo demás perfecto.

La Petite Planèthé

I went to my favourite shop in Valencia, La Petite Planèthé, for Whitney's Photo Hunt. It's located in the city center and you can find any kind of tea or infussion. They also have a small selection of gourmet products as Dolphin chocolates or Jules Destrooper biscuits. Everything in this shop is armonious and cozy. I love the way they have all the teapots and cups disposed. It's the best place for buying a special present for a tea drinker (like me ^^).

Fui a mi tienda favorita en Valencia, La Petite Planèthé, para el Photo Hunt de Whitney. Está en pleno centro y puedes encontrar cualquier variedad de té e infusiones. También tienen una pequeña colección de productos gurmet como los chocolates Dolphin o galletas de Jules Destrooper. Todo en esta tienda es armonioso y acogedor. Me encanta la disposición de las teteras y tazas. Es el mejor lugar para comprar un regalo especial para un bebedor de té (como yo ^^).

It's plenty of marvelous smells and they always have a taster of some infussion or tea. You also can buy  an iced tea. I love every single corner of this shop, really!

Está llena de olores maravillosos y siempre tienen té o infusión para probar. También puedes comprar té granizado. Adoro cada rinconcito de esta tienda, ¡de verdad!

Don't you want to spend a whole evening reading a good book on that armchair? 

No me digas que no estarías toda la tarde leyendo un buen libro en ese sillón.

They also have a members club and you can join their offers and tea tasting. Do you imagine drinking some delicious teas with the Gloria's directions? If you're in Valencia it's a must go!

También tienen club Planèthé y puedes beneficiarte de ofertas y catas de té. ¿Te imaginas beber tés delociosos en esas preciosas tacitas con las indicaciones de Gloria? ¡Si estás en Valencia tienes que ir!