Belle of the Ball

Great day ahead: my lil princess is all set for her ballet show. She's used to the stage, this isn't her first performance, but it's her first debut in classical ballet tonight indeed, thus she's pretty excited and a bit scared too. 

Any filming or shooting it's strictly prohibited inside the theater, so I snapped a few shots this morning on our way to the final reharsal to have some decent memory. I don't expect anything good out of the photographer,  and I'm pissed off about this rule he imposed, if you ask me. As long as you don't use your flash and don't go near the stage to take photos, why not allowing people if they want to?

This ballet show concludes a magical year. Princess Ali matured a lot with classical ballet helping her on the way. There're many benefits I notice, from physical strength, agility and strong concentration skills to a sense of pride and accomplishment which improved her self-esteem. As she began to improve, she gained a new sense of self-confidence which are helpful in other areas of her life. Watching my daughter slowly transform into a lovely, beautiful, wise little lady is very rewarding.

Looking forward to enjoying the show then tonight. I love you, Alice, I love you so! Good luck, baby!

That's the Latest

A lot is happening here. The fact I'm a (forced) sporadic blogger doesn't mean I'm not writing at all. I am, I keep writing all the time but I'm too busy to sit down and post properly and make it all nice for you like I would like to. Sooner or later all of my drafts will pop out and flow on these pages like they deserve to be, and you'll be happier (I hope LOL) after catching up with me :)

For now, please enjoy this combination of photos and my Facebook status updates, before it's too late and I get too emotionally distracted to sum it all up.

May 2

Lovat Bookstore, during a peaceful afternoon of readings. Alice sips her hot chocolate and exclaims "Mum, I feel at home here!" and I'm the proudest mother.

May 3

"Good morning with a smile from us!"

May 4

Last photo correction approaching. I feel like crying.

 

May 5

www.pissedoff.com 

Delirium of a pissed off girl: Into the Wild is one of the best movies of the universe. Bows to Mr Penn. Period.

May 6

CONGRATULATIONS, FRANCE! 

"Le changement, c'est maintenant. Let's all follow this step!"

May 7

"Go fuck yourself. And u know who you are. Excuse my language, people, but she truly deserves this!"

May8

"Wow, mum, isn't the bartender handsome?"

"Yes, honey, he is, but I think he's gay."

"Oh. But he can always change, right?"

May 9

Nutella or not Nutella? Dammit!

May 10

"Alice, have u made your bed?"

"Yes, Madam!"

May 11

Racism against gypsies, regular parents beating scares and lots of disturbed questions. Should I put a limit to my daughter's friends in our house? Where's the borderline between accepting others/wanting to teach them right and being scared/snob? PS: Happy birthday to the man of my life!

May 12

The sound of my baby's voice whilst reading loud before falling asleep ... awwwwwww!

May 13

"Greetings from Venice!"

May 14

Can someone please explain to my hubbie that the fact he works from home at times doesn't mean I'm his secretary? :)

May 15

Slightly panicking. No photo inspiration for Sunday, on a writer's block and eating like crazy. This can't go on!

May 16

This pic scored 2 nd place at a month Photo Competition yesterday. I want to dedicate it to Valentina, Sandra, Lisa, Nesli, Roula, Asun and Zeina. Thank you, girls, for your constant support in my work. This was possible because of your motivating comments!

May 17

Waiting for lil princess to come home, on her first night out without parents -yuck! :)

May 18

"Alice, look at that glorious sunset, come and see it yourself. Call daddy, rush!"

"Daddy, daddyyyy, come and see you too!"

"Ohhhh, so is this what you disturbed me for?"

May 19

Calling nana is harder now: she's deafer and deafer. Happy birthday anyway!

May 20

Hazelnut milkshake and I'm ready for this final day out shooting in Nova Goriza, whilst the earth shaked again and a quake hit Emilia Romagna. It never rains but it pours!

May 21

Scared and demoralized by these bomb attacks, so close to another tragical anniversary. Even God refuses to bless Italy :(

And then today:

"One more week, Elda, hang in one more week and then life will be normal again."

And

And then you realize she's growing, and you wonder if your relationship with her will be as intense and unique as it is now. And you hope she'll go through phases but never throw you aside. 

And you know you'll always do your best to chaperon her through life, because the adult she'll become depends so much on you. And this is all that counts in the end. Blood and future that irreversibly becomes past and laughter and sacrifice and all that love. Yes, all that love.

Once more the storm is howling, and half hid
Under this cradle-hood and coverlid
My child sleeps on. There is no obstacle
But Gregory's wood and one bare hill
Whereby the haystack- and roof-levelling wind,
Bred on the Atlantic, can be stayed;
And for an hour I have walked and prayed
Because of the great gloom that is in my mind.

I have walked and prayed for this young child an hour
And heard the sea-wind scream upon the tower,
And under the arches of the bridge, and scream
In the elms above the flooded stream;
Imagining in excited reverie
That the future years had come,
Dancing to a frenzied drum,
Out of the murderous innocence of the sea.

May she be granted beauty and yet not
Beauty to make a stranger's eye distraught,
Or hers before a looking-glass, for such,
Being made beautiful overmuch,
Consider beauty a sufficient end,
Lose natural kindness and maybe
The heart-revealing intimacy
That chooses right, and never find a friend.

Helen being chosen found life flat and dull
And later had much trouble from a fool,
While that great Queen, that rose out of the spray,
Being fatherless could have her way
Yet chose a bandy-leggd smith for man.
It's certain that fine women eat
A crazy salad with their meat
Whereby the Horn of Plenty is undone.

In courtesy I'd have her chiefly learned;
Hearts are not had as a gift but hearts are earned
By those that are not entirely beautiful;
Yet many, that have played the fool
For beauty's very self, has charm made wise,
And many a poor man that has roved,
Loved and thought himself beloved,
From a glad kindness cannot take his eyes.

May she become a flourishing hidden tree
That all her thoughts may like the linnet be,
And have no business but dispensing round
Their magnanimities of sound,
Nor but in merriment begin a chase,
Nor but in merriment a quarrel.
O may she live like some green laurel
Rooted in one dear perpetual place.

My mind, because the minds that I have loved,
The sort of beauty that I have approved,
Prosper but little, has dried up of late,
Yet knows that to be choked with hate
May well be of all evil chances chief.
If there's no hatred in a mind
Assault and battery of the wind
Can never tear the linnet from the leaf.

An intellectual hatred is the worst,
So let her think opinions are accursed.
Have I not seen the loveliest woman born
Out of the mouth of Plenty's horn,
Because of her opinionated mind
Barter that horn and every good
By quiet natures understood
For an old bellows full of angry wind?

Considering that, all hatred driven hence,
The soul recovers radical innocence
And learns at last that it is self-delighting,
Self-appeasing, self-affrighting,
And that its own sweet will is Heaven's will;
She can, though every face should scowl
And every windy quarter howl
Or every bellows burst, be happy still.

And may her bridegroom bring her to a house
Where all's accustomed, ceremonious;
For arrogance and hatred are the wares
Peddled in the thoroughfares.
How but in custom and in ceremony
Are innocence and beauty born?
Ceremony's a name for the rich horn,
And custom for the spreading laurel tree. June 1919 

"A Prayer for my Daughter", William Butler Yeats

Back to Learn

What can I say? My weekend was fun fun fun because it was filled with the things I like: family, friends, great food, photography and great movies. 

It all started with a seminary on rules of composition and portfolio at the local university, which I entered intimidated enough. It's been years since my Masters degree.  I completed my education back in 1997 at the tender age of 24.

I support the 'youneverstoplearning' attitude but many reasons kept me away from any secretarial office for students so far. I felt I broke the ice with this photo course now, so I may seek for info this coming week, in that maybe my secret dream of obtaining a second Masters can happen. Nothing can stop me if I truly want it, right?

And in between those 7 hours, divided between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, I helped Ali throw her first pajama party. The girls were all excited, with the experience being a total hit. Thumbs up for a next one for sure, but not anytime soon, please. 3 kids at home are demanding enough!

One of the girls stayed on one extra day because of her parents impending chores. We took her with us for one of our usual Sunday treats out. Spring is blooming, wasting time indoors being pale looks like a sacrilege. We want to be out and about as much as possible, enjoying and having fun with delicious treats and funny activities.

Spring rules, I told you! 

One of Alfie's very rare shots of me.

PS: I love this photo a lot. It could be good for a commercial, or just to illustrate a nice street shot moment. Awwwwww, novices' disproportionate success! :)

A bit of images

Well, what can I say to justify this blogging silence of mine. I'm translating my book, something that is slowly taking form. Parallely, I'm also working on my new novel. I absolutely have no rush, just my head full of ideas that are ready to explode.

And in between, I am editing Alice's photobook, a process that is absorbing all my energies. It's something I owe her, I can't allow this precious baby to go on in her life without memories. I'm putting together this memoir box for her. After lots of pondering, I decided to keep it simple to cover her first year, dividing her developping progress by season. I wake up in the middle of the night with ideas for layouts in my mind. I officially have a sleeping problem (and dark cicrles around my eyes that are even more serious). I should have done this year by year, but now important is keep going. Yeah!

These have been very productive months. January and February both are busy months for my family. Alfie always goes to Florida for his annual kick off project launching in January, an event that coincided with the week of my birthday. He didn't forget to appoint his secretary to send me flowers on the 19th and got back with a long time desired present for me, new Nikkor lens. I couldn't be happier. 

Then February marks Alice's birthday, an important occasion to celebrate with her friends. 7 years and counting. My gosh, time flies! This year we rented a room and threw a big party, calling a magician who performed a lovely show to entertain kids. It was a blast!

Then Carnival and all its parties arrive, and I feel trapped into the vortex of preparations.

Busy times, I told ya!

I wanna be a stylist

"Mom, I want to study hard to pursue my dreams!" she said showing me these models:

And after viewing her particular creations, I know she will!

PS: I know, I know, I'm not posting much. All my energies are absorbed into a new project at the moment but keep faith in me. Hang in there, my readers. I will be back!

Serene days

The holy season has just started and it's an explosion of beautiful lights everywhere. During the recent years, or more precisely since Alice is alert and vivid about the preparations and understands them better, I've started to enjoy the Christmas excitment. Before (BC = Before Child for me), it was a gross vortex of useless and emtpy family gatherings that didn't add anything to my personal growth, as the fakeness was so evident that it could be cut in two with a knife.

It's all so different now, with my own family to nurture and our cozy home and honest feelings. What is genuine will remain in our hearts for ever, and we decided to celebrate with style with a little trip this year too. Nobody can't destroy what is ours, at least.

In the meanwhile, we try to enjoy the colorful atmosphere out as much as we can. At home we're all set with decorations. This year we have a creative nativity. It grows with Alice's abilities to decorate it, that was the plan. We started from when she was 3 and the things we add are parallel to her imagination and manuality. This little girl of mine never ceases to surprise me for her invetivness. I hope she'll remain like this for the rest of her life. I'm sure she'll be a special adult, maybe too sensitive and educated for this world, but still special.

Closer and better pics soon.

We also have a Christmas tree, of course. This is something Alice does with her dad. I supervise the operations by taking pics and giving easthetical advice. Not that they need them LOL but really, usually my role is relative to music, photos, general coordination and the boring part in the end: cleaning. 

The first real celebration we had was on Saint Nicholas, December 6. This is unsual or better, it was unusual until we arrived here. In other parts of Italy we celebrate La Befana, the good witch who brings gifts after Santa on Epiphany Day, on January 6. When in Rome, do like the Romans they say, right? So our child gets 3 gifts (and more), the one from Santa included. This is one of the privileges of being a modern migrant, I suppose. 

6 am and up to unwrap what Saint Nicholas left

Life is made of all those little pleasures that count for you and for you only. I'm looking forward to living what this season brings next. I'm all ready like I never was before and this makes me optimist after all the dark Christmases of the past!

Barbieland

Who's a daughter without a Barbie? Many are very critical of this fresh-faced Winsconsin girl who first came into the world on 9 March, 1959. She has been blamed for eating disorders and distorted body image ever since, demonized by feminists as an imaginary ideal woman. But, come on! Girls are far more intelligent than Barbie critics, they know their dolls are just dolls. Barbie is more like a superhero for them. She's friendly, she has friends of all nationalities, she likes a lot of different things. You can go on a safari adventure with her, then rock the red carpet. And what's wrong in some great fashion instillation after all? She can be a fashionista and teach girls that they can be anything they want to be. There was the president Barbie, the austronaut, the soldier, the rockstar, the doctor, the gymnast. She also encourages to use imagination, with endless possibilities. 

I'm team barbie, definitely. I allow my daughter to play endless hours with her dolls, just like I did with mines. I actually think Barbie empowers feminism in her own dynamic way. She shows that women have superior social etiquette and that important galas don't require men in attendance, that alternative lifestyles are possible and that it's cool to have many careers. You can have love and work at the same time, and reinventing yourself can be a good thing. What other toy gives yo so many lessons in one?

To support my ideas even more, look what Barbie Fun Facts I found. Did you know that:

• Barbie® doll has had more than 80 careers -- everything from a rock star to a paleontologist to a presidential candidate.
• Barbie® doll represented a candidate for President in 1992 and ran again in 2000 with a platform of opportunities for girls, educational excellence and animal rights. 
• In 1997, Share A Smile® Becky® was the first Mattel, Inc. fashion doll introduced with a wheelchair.
• Italian was the first nationality Barbie® doll represented in the Dolls of the World® Collection.
• Quinceanera Teresa® doll was released in Mexico in 1994 to celebrate Girls Day. 
• Barbie® doll has represented 45 different nationalities.
• The first black and Hispanic Barbie® dolls were introduced in 1980. 2002 marks the debut of Kayla, Barbie doll’s new multi-cultural friend.
• Barbie® doll has had over 43 pets including 21 dogs, 14 horses, 3 ponies, 6 cats, a parrot, a chimpanzee, a panda, a lion cub, a giraffe and a zebra.  
• Barbie.com is an online community for girls with the mission to engage, enchant and empower girls by inspiring them to be creative and explore their individual interests. 
• The Barbie® Polaroid I-zone is an instant camera that allows girls to create postage-size sticky pictures of all their fun activities.
• Barbie® doll’s boyfriend, Ken® doll made his debut two years after Barbie in 1961 and in 2001 marks his 40th anniversary.

Given that premise, it's no surprise that I rushed to the Barbie and Lego Exhibition in Ljubljana this weekend. These two of the world's most succesfull toys both celebrate their 53rd anniversary this year. We couldn't miss it. It was amazing indeed, I recognized a few Barbies I had from the 70's (whose bodies were mutilated by the fury of my dog, who used them as bones -sigh!) and, needless to say, my baby girl went nuts, literally! The show featured so many wonderful dools, oh my! Here are my favorites.

Harley Davidson Barbie

Ferrari Barbie: life in the fast lane is possible for girls too!

Ecstatic princess among Barbie Sirenes

The Cinema section: Gone with the wind and Monroe celebrations!

Their Hignesses Princess Sisi and Franz Joseph of Austria

Barbie Statue of Liberty, limited edition.

Normally I have to beg her for modeling, while here ...

Princesses section

Brides

Elvis mania

The Lord of the Ring and Superman

Dolls of the World (my favorites)

Moon and Sun Exclusives

Peruvian Barbie, one of my favorites all the time.

Barbie Cat Woman -Meow!

The exhibition was accompanied by  a programme of children's events. My Lil Princess joined the Barbie sewing clothes. She created a few elegant outfits.

I told you my girl has sense of fashion!

Now, let me tell you, given my passion for Barbie, I could even tolerate some mutilation because it's another thing Barbie is helping girls do: outgrow herself. According to researchers, there's nothing to worry about if your children torture their dolls. It's just a rite of passage and a rejection of their past. Of course I would very much prefer if Alice started collecting dolls rather than torturing her, like I did. Keeping our inner child intact helps living a fuller life, after all. But well, shall I find a Barbie burnt in the microwave in her pre-teen years, I'll try to be calm all the same. It's just another sign of versatility from this great, great toy!