Going up to the Castle

  This is Vilafames.

They had a showing of old traditions, a lot of people were outside dressed up making food, some of the houses where open for you to see old kitchens, old schools with books dating 1900, pharmacies, butcheries etc.

There was a lot to see but there was music on the streets and people walking up to a small castle, on top of the town.

We walked down the alleys which I truly adore,they are so inviting, make you want to go get lost..

Still heading up the castle we found this.. pretty clear..go up and up..

 

When we got to the ruins the first thing I did was walk into this tower, and look out one of the windows..

This is what I found..

Inside  this place reminded me of conversations with a friend of mine about spots filled with energy, it makes you wish you could have a peek of this place years and years ago.

Coming back down, I found this garden and got in for a closer look. (((It was open, so I figured I could go in, please don’t think I break into other people’s houses to sniff on their flowers, take photos and and run haha!)))

Three ladies were here knitting, doing embroidery and this is when my jaw dropped, making some lace..

 

 

This lady right here was the highlight of  my day, I stared and smiled and asked 1000 questions and went back to the time I asked my little weaving teachers about their work.

She was kind enough to explain about the patterns, and what amazed me the most is that these threads are regular threads, she just knots and knots and I stand there having no idea how she keeps track, she laughed and told me it was years of practice and then stopped to show me some of the other things she had made, including the black lace she was wearing.

Her granddaughter made bracelets, still so intricate, I just enjoy complimenting others on their handmade work, it is truly admirable how they keep the traditions alive.

After talking with her for a little while I told her that I made jewelry, and she pulled out a cookie box, inside there where some bracelets and she said they where made with silver wire..silver thread I thought.. and she handed it out to me and it was indeed the thinnest wire I have ever seen, she even mentioned someone makes this wire for her in a specific size so she can make it lace like this, again I have made thin, thin wire, but this one was the thinnest! and  in person this bracelet was sturdy,really shiny and delicate.

All and all a nice day, came back home with a ball of goat cheese from that area, happy for a little trip, ready to relax and enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

Little Corners.

    

 

Easter Costa Rica, Guatemala, Spain.

 

Easter or “Holy week” as we call it, is a week long celebration.

Back in Costa Rica we have the processions,there are many church activities and people get from 3 to 5 days off, in my family ever since I was little, we would go back to the farm.

Back then my great grandmother was alive, and I was raised very innocently, believing things like if on a holy friday I went to swim in the river I would turn into a mermaid (something that I seriously considered with a friend of mine), she was a 103 and you have to behave because if you happen to disrespect holy friday you will be punished… oh! I did behave.

We used to go camping,fishing and build fires and the older people would tell us stories about ghosts and things that had happened in the farms, which scared me to death, I believed every single word, as I got older I truly cherish those moments and the other day a cousin took a photo of the house of my great aunt where I used to go for holy week, it is an old house that hasn’t changed a bit.

The traditions, the scary bits, which not believed so much now still respected and remembered with certain nostalgia, my childhood is trapped right there in that moment and time and I remember and cherish every detail.

Some places seem to not be touched by time and still every year, my family goes camping, fishing.. oh and my grandma cooking without limits and us eating like there’s no tomorrow.

 

 

From the  traditional foods I love specially “rosquillas” which are made with corn and cheese  in a wood oven, the best way to eat them is put some in a cup of black coffee and eat them with a spoon, believe me!

They can be purchased like this, but back in the farm, every year the corn dough is prepared from scratch and baked in a rustic wood oven.

 

(Source) 

 

Guatemala is pretty incredible, I think I leave that pretty clear every time I talk about it and sight a little, whishing oceans where way smaller.. what calls my attention the most is the carpets they make in the streets ..

But for this go over to Lucy’s  and this particular post of Semana Santa explaining a more about this and many other Guatemalan traditions.

The photo below belongs to my friend Suzanne

You can see the rest of her photos over here

As for Spain,  I guess there could be a blog just about the stuff they do here, like in every other place some people are quite religious and wait all year for this week, I live in a place where is not common to do so much but this is something new I learned “Monas de Pascua”

Starts at 8am making the dough and letting it rest for 3 hours.

Then there is the filling made with lemon, almond,sugar,cinnamon and olive oil

 

Another layer of dough and some decoration..

  

Some are stuffed some are not..

Then we got to this one which at first I thought they where kidding..

This one is one layer of dough..

 

And 2 hard boiled eggs..

Apparently the tradition for kids mostly is while eating it, smash the egg in someone’s head…

That’s when I giggled .. and had to confirm it, from different sources, I may seem so silly asking all these questions but I was curious..

The egg is smashed in the head, but not eaten with the bread, because is sweet…so it is just used later for a salad or something.

One with Nutella, half of the jar to be precise.

 

Here they are all ready to rest for another hour..

Now they had to be glazed with egg, for that golden color, and sprinkled with sugar all around the top

I made the first 2 in the corner.

After an afternoon of baking, running back and forth, ohhhh the smell..

Here they are.

Starting with the famous eggs..

 

The ones with the filling..

A total of 11, some to give away, some to keep.

They are soooo good, and everyone laughs when I keep telling them, they should be eaten all year long not just easter.

So this is how I spent my easter, and I am keeping this recipe with me to make some when I get back home, one of the great things of traveling is this… learning new things that  you can carry with you and can share later on.

This is the one I made and one last thing:

Nutella is love.

Thank you.

 

 

Today I woke up to find out that there are 1500 sales in my shop.

After making and photographing this pendant, I got to listing as much as I could, easter is full on here and we are baking up a storm.

So I stopped by to say thank you, for your support, for linking my work, for the emails I get that make me smile and feel like I should keep going even during times when I am down and  to celebrate there will be a 10% off in the shop using the code EASTER2012 until Monday.

Happy Easter!

 

 

 

 

 

La la land..

This week I had a revelation,

and last night while having a little trouble sleeping like I usually do, I though of making this post, word by word in a half dream, half awake state…

So far, this year, I have wandered around in my own little world, which can sometimes be troubled by the smallest things, or not bothered at all for outside things..

“You are too happy” was said to me at 5 in the morning a couple of days ago and as funny as it might seem I realized, that I guess I am, and sometimes this makes me forget many things, and I tend to not worry at all, even in situations I should worry about..

I have taken 2 months, to get to know myself better, I think new surroundings are the best thing you can do to yourself, because when different things come up you have to learn,get used to, adapt..which leads me to the core of this post.

It can be hard sometimes, but once a balance is found and “what I want” is settled, things get so much easier.

I got here and found myself surrounded by possibilities there are fairs every week, amazing workshops, jewelry shops, tools, and I think for a moment there I went blank and was left with a million questions, “what do I do?” if I feel like doing it all! The best way I can describe it is like bringing a kid to a toy store and giving him the white flag, “Go ahead use what you want” .. where do you begin?

There has to be some sort of order, also, I plan to stay here for a while, there is no need to rush anything.

So baby steps,

First: There is this fair 250kms away from my house which I agreed to go,

my plan is to see Spain this way, grab my bag with displays,jewelry and business cards and go get lost..

Second : there is a Gallery-Shop which will display my jewelry for 3 months,  more on this later..

They asked me that besides the jewelry and displays I needed to display some sort of banner with my brand or logo so people knew who made it, which is quite important.

Since I am always “behind a tree” (translated from Spanish, meaning lost!), I had to run and come up with something, to put in that little banner, boxes and bags.

 

Do you like it?

It is as closed as we could go for my signature, plus my displays are wood and black so I also made a version with black background and white fronts..

Sometimes I forget the business side,image,branding,pricing, marketing is so important… is not just about making stuff.

Oh my, feels like there is so much to do, and now with this 2 things coming I feel motivated, a little more focused and like things will be good in the future.

Now is time to think what to make, and go lock myself in the workshop!

Wishing you a warm, sunny Sunday  in your corner of the world

Meditation is not against mind but it is the art of going beyond mind.

 

These last few weeks, I’ve been working on jewelry for a shop that sells Yoga-Meditation related jewelry, when I got this topic, well you can just imagine how happy I was, here is some of the jewelry I sent them..

Yogis.

Chakras

 

Some of the smaller pieces…

 

   Stones..

I also made some lotus rings, more ohms.. etc, the order is all shipped and now I can focus a little more on my shop, so far I made one ring,

this one is quite heavy and will be listed some time today..

 

 

What do you think, should I make more along this line for Etsy?

December,chocolate addiction, too many beads, new work and perfect coffee, 2012

I started the first day of the year like this…

Yesterday I got some Costa Rican coffee and was like Gollum from LOTR, waiting for the morning for a cup of my “precious” coffee.. this you see here is the typical Costa Rican way of making it, boiling water is just poured in, this particular way makes the whole house smell like coffee, brings memories of childhood, of trips around the country when you feel incredibly happy to find a place they pour coffee on the table for you..I could seriously go on..

While having my coffee I decided to write a little about these last few days

I spent December moving stuff into my house…

Arranging and arranging, buying little zip lock bags, boxers, arranging, by color, by type.. arranging the tools, hanging photos on the walls, making this place my own.

Then by the middle of the month a wave of food came by, and I had no choice but to eat it all…

I just love trying new food and one of the great things about living in another country is discovering all kinds of favorite things..

Plus I’m extremely lucky, H. likes to cook and he makes beauties like this..

If you want to see more photos look at this album..

But to be honest with you I had way too many of these platters in front of me and they are the ones responsible of me stepping out in the cold streets and running every other day.

Little by little I am getting ready for my shop to open, making some new pieces,  I apologize ahead for the poor quality of the photo but I took it right after finishing  tonight.

 

2011 was a year of many lessons, which I will not take for granted, as for this new year, all I want is health, make the best jewelry that I can, seeing more of Spain, and always remembering what really is important and living as humble as I can, being grateful for the opportunities life gives us every day..

2011 was a year of sacrifices, 2012 will be one of enjoying everything around me.

As much as I love changes and places, today I can tell you I am happy where I am , with who I’m with and what I am doing, and not having that self-pressure of “What’s next?” is  the best feeling I’ve ever had.

Surreal days..

Let me start by telling you a little story,

When I decided to move to Spain, one of the biggest questions always my the tools, where to get the metal,etc… for this I asked my teacher which also happens to be from Spain to help me see what would work better..he advice to look for second hand things over here.

I have some tools but I always hold back on the shopping since I have just the basics, or what I can carry in 2 suitcases, and so while looking online for used tools in Spain , prices and such.

I found Don Juan.

He happened to live just 10kms from where we, were to live and well after some conversations, photos, he decided to sell us his tools.

How can I explain?

The closest I can come to, is like if you have a dream, something that you know will take years to achieve, I had an idea to have something like this in a period of 10 years, some of the larger tools like an electric rolling mill was out of that list, it was beyond my reach, then the torches, smaller tools,files,burs, so to me is  like having a loan for college and suddenly finding out is all paid for, like winning the lottery, like having that one thing that would change everything,right there.

 

 

 

No room for excuses,no need to think what’s next..

If I could only tell you how much I’ve cried, happy tears that is..

When I got here, saw the tools and started unpacking, I would cry with every single thing, had a little nervous smile, with each of the things I pulled out of the boxes, we are talking boxes and boxes of these..

I adoreeeeee that each and every one of these tools, has a story, you can see the years, I cherish and respect experience, and he as kind as he is, is willing to help me set up the workshop and explain things, his tools are his tools and well there is a bond, they are what make us earn a living, and facilitate to make whatever comes out of out head, and now little by little I’ve spent my days, sorting them out, cleaning, trying to convince myself this is real and they are mine.

The jeweler’s table, sitting there makes me think how many things have been made there, I am enjoying myself,  I feel like a little girl just playing with everything, getting to know everything..

Moments like this make me feel humble and grateful..

New work is coming soon..I’ll have fire!

I can’t wait!

And so it went..

Woke up at 7am last Monday after about 4 hours of sleep and 5 days of being in a fair for 10 hours a day.. more on that later, there is so much I need to tell you about..

 

Everywhere I go I have the luck of having a mountain near me.. so after months of seeing these mountains every morning, it was time to say goodbye.

I love how everything is always green in Costa Rica.

After a few goodbyes and the strongest hugs my arms can give, I went off to my grandmothers to have a tamal, in CR we have tamales for Christmas, and although it was a bit early, she made sure I had some home made ones before I left..

Then off I went, this time it was a bit particular, I was not alone, specially travelling and going somewhere specifically.. my house!, every time things are more planned and everything is done before I get to the country, so wow! lol! adult behavior? …I mean this is a big deal coming from a girl who used to just think “Once I get there I will figure it out” …

So first a plane, good 10h on it.. the great thing was that after such running around packing I can assure you  I slept at least 6h on the plane,this is right before landing..

Running around in the airport, changing money, 2 suitcases, ruuuuuuuun, I wanted to be out already, Madrid was so sunny, chilly but sunny, got there at noon on Tuesday.

 

Finally outside! Find the bus to the train station, literally running once again hence this photo..

 

3 and a half hours later,time for a train, AVE makes a 400km drive in just one hour and a half..

 

From the train… if you look close enough you can see my messy head haha! Of course no self portraits at this point, between excitement and jet lag, I was quite the crazy lady..

Finally in Valencia, a 1h drive..

And after all this I have to say, I was dead but you have never seen anyone happier.

H and I are in Spain! ready to start, planning around, buying incense for the house, moving things here and there..

And  my workshop, oh my workshop!… needs a complete blog post, I am overwhelmed, the first 3 days I was here when I saw the tools, I would cry, literally, I would go from the kitchen to the living room, see the workshop and smiled, is like when you were little and you liked a little boy and you looked at him and then quickly look away, dear friends, I am this crazy about it! and I am familiarizing myself with everything..unpacking has taken me a week, because every single thing is cleaned, observed and cherished for a good amount of time.

Love is all around, loving H, love for life, for work, for realizing all our hard work finally paid off, love for all the people in this world who we meet and sometimes have to say goodbye to, loving this relationships getting stronger, for adventure..

I could write how much I am grateful for, but I pretty much can sum it up to the point, I am grateful for everything, even the smallest things have a meaning and I have taken a week just to enjoy them..

These days, we wake up to this..

And excited to see what each day brings..

Running away..

 

These last few weeks I’ve had a need of running away from everything, yes, everything.. even jewelry, that’s why things have been quiet around the blog,shop,facebook.etc..

I am quite stubborn, and usually when things don’t go as planned, I am embarrassed to admit, I feel annoyed, like crying, like not doing anything, and whine,Oh! yes I whine… but then after I am done letting it all out, I come back to my senses,think of the good things and start planning again, thinking what could I do for my business, for time to go by faster…

Why am I sad? Right now I was meant to be in Spain, H and I have worked so hard,but there is still so much to do, so we can have everything we need over there, going to Guatemala was hard, but moving to another continent, uff is proving to be a whole other deal..we need to wait a little longer.

The future will be wonderful and is almost here, but sometimes there is a bit of desperation when something you want is so close, yet so far.

I have been taking some time for myself..

There was a quick visit to the farm, which was particularly beautiful this time of year..

Let me give you a tour of the garden.

It’s been raining a lot in the city, there was a tropical storm.. over here 6hours away, it was sunny with very little rain, just enough to make everything bloom..

 

We call these “Mamon chino” in Costa Rica, but found out is called a Wild Rambutan in english, anyways right now they are everyyyywhere and I could eat a thousand of them…

 

The colors are so beautiful, funny how I can wander in this place for so long, looking at all the flowers,

 

at all the leafs..

 

And always find something new..

Don’t these look like the stripes where drawn on them?

Grapefruit!

 

 

This tree has dozens of pink bells..

 

 

Little corners..

Walking on moist grass, the smell of earth, the hugs of my brothers, smiles,

and my grandma making tortillas of course.

When I feel like running away, I run away to my home, more than enough to give me that much needed boost..

Hopefully tomorrow I will have some jewelry to show, this blog needs it

Buenas Noches!