09/09/09 at 9am

Gratuitous picture alert....

Look at these beauties...

My baking frenzy is, as of today, officially what I would consider to be, a product of my current glucose craving. I just can't seem to think of anything else other than what I can stick in that oven. It keeps me up at night, all the possible combinations. Mint and chocolate, raspberry and chocolate, applesauce and chocolate. Today it was a classic pairing: banana and chocolate. As I'm sitting at the dining table (which these days has had the double function of an office desk, what with random plates of buttery sweetness always an arms length away..heaven and hell wrapped in one)I am writing this post and trying not to look down at the muffin crumbs all over my 'other' muffin. Yes. THAT muffin. And with my jean buttons undone theres a whole loada self raising action going on.
I'm supposed to be doing a few more responsible things like looking up clinics in London on the net (instead of looking up muffin recipes). Our little strawberry might need to undergo some tests throughout my pregnancy. There is a history of hereditary conditions of which I don't want to go into too much detail without checking with Mr T first. As much as I want to share my thoughts and fears and muffins on this blog, I still have to get the go ahead from the T every now and then. It could be nothing. Or not. Either way, I don't want to freak out those who love us very much. I just hope we can get through it. The T (that's my new name for him now..) is my man and I have to stand by him. Through thick and thin, muffins and salads, jokes and tears,we're a dynamic duo we are.

It's nice..

...to be beside the seaside

A picture is worth a thousand words

and more if you can take ones as beautiful as these. My friend Vania took these as part of her work as a designer. The pictures of children were taken whilst working on a creative project with AMI in Mozambique, and the others were taken in the north of Portugal. Shes a great photographer as you can see and I was really moved by these images. Have a look at her blog here, for more and you can also get to see her design work for Amnesty International

Monday night DIY

Take the dying remains of an old Ikea lamp, an antique wooden candle holder and a vase for candles from Habitat. Put it all together and youve got yourself a perfectly functioning reading lamp. One during the day, one during the night. Dont you just love it when you rummage around the house to put things together rather than buying something that just doesnt make you smile as much?

Mr T: I really feel like a good tart

and as you can well imagine, I laughed when he said that and naturally he couldnt understand why. Thats just one example of a whole range of unintentional funniness from a Portuguese whose second language detectors tracked down a good ol cockney like me but forgot to activate the filthy British humour control before transporting me to Portugal and into his innocent Portuguese arms.... And now we are married!
By the way, thats the exact tart that caught his eye. Cor Blimey Govna!

I just got back yesterday after two weeks of chapatti induced euphoria. Not sure if I succeeded in looking like Aishwara Rai (I DEFINATELY did not spell her name right) but I had my day of jingly jangly sparkly heaven. It was lots of fun and Mr T worried over nothing at the end of it all, as it was his first real immersion into Bengaldom. His rugged Portuguese charm won the hardest crowd over: the old Bengali ladies!
I will post some more photos soon.In the meantime, Ive got a certain thing called 'work' to think about.
Happy to be blogging again! Cheerio for now!

Home is where the heart is...

With all the wedding jitters in the air at the moment (two weeks to go before Im enslaved to a life of wedlock..lol) Well it means I havent been really painting, lots of drawing and fiddling with pens and pencils, but nothing solid and complete. So I thought I would spend this afternoon taking pictures of all my favourite nooks and crannies. Of my home, not me. There are two studios, the one with the big windows and patterned rug is Antonios, and the other one is mine.
I love all the light we get here, and we get a lovely breeze when we open the windows. The Portuguese heat can get a tad stifling during the summer months but being on the second floor of an apartment building gives us alot more of a fresh breeze than those below us.
Over the last few months or so, plants have been one of my guilty pleasures, why the guilt im not sure. Maybe its because I should spend more time talking to people than to my plants.. but I love it. It really relaxes me. A close second behind my love for after eights and Oprah. (watching Oprah..now THATs a guilty pleasure).

I love the way the branches of the lilac twists through the iron bars like cloth. It just seemed so amazing to me, how such a pretty looking thing could have so much strength. And the scent is divine. It reminded me of some of the ideas and feelings I want to explore in my work more, how pretty things can be powerful, dangerous even.

 

Sintra

I love the design of these tiles. I took this photograph in Sintra, a beautiful city which is a 25 minute drive from Lisbon.

 

The best rooftop cafe in Lisbon

 

Little sis

She's leaving tomorrow after a very short visit. I'm sad :(

 

*

Introducing...Antonio

Aaaawww

 

Berardo Museum

Here I am, trying to understand the complexities of colour.

 

My desk/mess

 

artistic confidence gone astray....:-(

I bought a fabulous collection of artbooks from a townfair near my workplace. Very affordable with beautiful pictures. In addition to gazing enviably at the technique of such great masters of art, I also had a look at a considerable number of artists websites. Looking for inspiration is a healthy thing to do. Until, that is, you come to the conclusion that EVERYONE has what it takes and you don't! :-( The last time I painted the human form was when I was 16. That was more than 10 years ago so as you can probably guess, I'm not the most confident of artists... Well, nevertheless I shall persevere on the sole fact that it is one of the few things that makes me intensely happy :-)