Merry (belated) Christmas

In translation: Merry Christmas

But the holidays didn't go without preparations. This past Sunday I went to bed at 6am only to finish the decorations for the tree, almost 2 kilos of cookies, a handbag - gift for my sister, decorated our place a bit and sewed the late St. Nicholas' gift for my sister's family.

But.. I love being a great elf. :)

Hope your holidays are as wonderful and eventful as they can be.
Merry Christmas everyone! God bless you.

Christmas Decorations at my place

Nothing new that I love December and Christmas, right? Well if it is new to you check some of the previous entries, otherwise just keep on reading. :)
It wouldn't be a proper post if I wouldn't mention my fabric store. Yes, I was there a few times again and bought all these cute Christmas themed fabrics. If you have time go check them out as they are 15% off this week.

So they all have a purpose and I've actually already used some of them.

From the left the first one is now a table cloth that I absolutely love.

Second one, super cute hearts, are a part of another table cloth and also Christmas tree ornaments.

The next one is my favourite because of the reindeers and the print that is actually soft, sort of velvety, and used it to make gift pouches. (Picture of that coming as soon as I make another one.)

Then Christmas trees for Christmas tree ornaments. Tree-ception. ;)

The red with golden print will serve for out home decoration that is not yet done and also you can check it out on a Christmas bag I made.

Last but not least and the only one that doesn't have a purpose yet is the one with the loveliest hearts. I might just use these for some more ornaments for the windows or something. Or if you have any ideas, please do share. :)

I'll try to put a tutorial of this ornaments up tomorrow but maybe on Thursday or Maybe even Friday. Bear with me. :)

Then yesterday I got this Christmas sock from my dear Hilary and is now already up on the wall. :)

Oh and thought I'd try how to scene my table for Christmas. It's too early though so I put the cribs away for a few more days but I like it a lot so here it is.

Oh, plus, I tried this on my nails and it kinda worked. I was going for Christmas holly on my nails and well it's pretty good, OK at least, especially if you consider the fact that I don't have any special thin brushes. Anyway I like it because it's Christmaaas. :)

Hope you're enjoying your December. :)

Busy practices for opera La Cecchina

And tired. Too tired to put any interesting new posts on, maybe tomorrow, but not today, too much to do.

I just came home from Academy, 5 hours of practice is not such fun. And a few hours yesterday were not fun as well. And tomorrow they won't be either.
But in the end it will all be worth it so reserve your time on 9th and 10th January to come see La Cecchina - La buona figliuola, an italian opera buffa written by Niccolo Piccinni in 1760.
You can get your tickets and read more about the production here.

DIY Christmas Tree Nails Decoration and St. Nicholas

Saint Nicholas stopped by tonight! We went to see him yesterday already with my nephews and then at home he was super great this year and brought me a gift card for (yeah you guessed it) Svet metraže. And some other treats and I even got some presents from my sister. But that will be another post on Sunday about that because we'll have a family meeting and well, I think I might get some more. :D (I'm very humble, I know.)
Also yesterday we had a party with some friends from Academy and my gift partner brought me an amazing tea set. Thank you, Jernej, so much. It's already in good use.

But today's post is not about Nicholas but about my Christmas tree nails I did two days ago. I don't have much equipment so it could be better but I tried my best and here is sort of a tutorial to see how to make your own. Of course the choice of colours is yours. Plus I was in a bit of a rush so there's no base coat, only top one.

Use tape to create a triangle for the tree. If you're putting a base coat make sure you use a tape that won't peel off that layer.

Colour and let it dry.

Take the tape off and then decide what colour you'll use for the decorations and what pattern you'll make.

I did the strips and a dot on the top, supposedly a star.

Add a clear top layer and voila.

And now you're ready to show off these nails in your fingerless gloves while sipping mulled wine in a decorated city center.
Enjoy your weekend. :)
PS: These guys are amazing!

DIY Advent Garland from Toilet Paper Rolls

This past two months I've constantly been seeing this idea on facebook sites and pinterest and everywhere and it seemed really easy. And it is. :)

I know it's a little late to put this idea on since advent already started this Sunday but you can always decorate your house a bit more. And you can do this with your kids because it's really super super easy.

Happy December is ON! :)

Started on time this year! And the fact that start of the advent colides with the date is absolutely perfect as well. :)
So even though the lights of Ljubljana are not yet lit (Tuesday, Dec 3 if you want to go check it out) I am in the mood for decorations and outfits and nails and songs, oh especially songs. And especially my favourite Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams.
Here's now what I came up with already and I'll put on more detailed collages soon, as usual.

Our 'December' Table Cloth in the making

New 'Happy December' Bag

Advent Garland from toilet paper roll

Biscuits, of course, like last year

New skirt and shawl, fabric from Svet metraže, thanks to Eva for the pic

As you know, I LOVE December. And spread this love even if just by giving a smile to someone, because this month is especially good for doing so, and it might, no, it WILL make someone's day. :)

Hope you like the pics and enjoy December. :)

DIY Yoga Mat Bag

About a month ago Polona contacted me about this special bag she wanted, a bag that would fit (not her laptop or oboe but) her yoga mat. Then it took us some time to find the fabric that she would like and the fact that she's currently not in Slovenia didn't help because I had to go looking for the right one myself. And then taking pictures, sending it to her, next time checking the prices, then figuring out some are way too thin to make a bag at all. Finally I actually found one fabric at home that I forgot about before.
And this one was the one.
Then it took some measuring and some precise, well a lot of precise cutting and sewing so that it would fit the best and not be too small but also not too big.
Anywho, I managed and here is the final product. It's already on it's way to Switzerland and I can't wait to hear some thoughts on it. :)

PS: Now I really can't wait for December to start, I actually already put some decorations on, haha, well just this fabric I found.
(I did though remove those bright coloured vases at least.)

Finally DIY Owls Handbags and Polka Dots on My Nails

You might've seen this on my Facebook page @Purcell's Purse or on my profile.
But now finally putting them on my blog as well since they seem to be the most popular bags of all times. I have to admit owls are super cute plus super trendy now so I understand the fuzz around it.
I managed to make 4 of them already which means 4 satisfied customers. You can see the pictures of two of them below. And be sure to mind the inner fabric, because they might not look different on the outside but the touch with the inner colour is priceless in my humble opinion. ;)
Hope you like them.

Follow up: Already sewed another bag, this one for my sister who had special ideas again so here you have an added yellow line, because otherwise this bag really lacks colours. ;)

Oh, also took the time to redo my nails.

PS: Can't wait for happy December to start so I can finally bake some of my favourite cookies.

Holidays :)

This holidays were probably the busiest of my life but also the most wonderful or amongst one of them.

Christmas (25th Dec) was blessed, I got to spend it with my family and in the evening with my dear friend at my sister's and at the movies and though I know he probably won't read this I have to thank him for keeping up with me all the time and caring for me which means to me the world and more than I deserve. :)

26th December, the day of the first concert with our choir Stoženke and it was really great, even though we did not have so much time to prepare it. I loved it and I do believe the others who say they did enjoy it too.

Thank you to all who came.

27th December. Just a day for practise, practise and some more practise. First Cantabile, then a lesson with my professor and in the evening a final rehearsal in Tržič with a special orchestra and choir Ignacij Hladnik. Afterwards I was invited to LAN party but it didn't come to it somehow. :D

28th December. Final rehearsal in the morning with Cantabile, then Vital and Klara presented me with a gift - a British ring, broken, but it's already fixed and in use now ;), then tea with Neža, got the tickets for concert at Krista's and then waited for Vanja to come so we would drive to Tržič together for the concert. But when I wanted to start the car the engine didn't work. At all. So I called Vid and he and Krista were so kind they came right away and started pushing the car so it would maybe start. But it didn't help as the accumulator was just too empty. Thankfully the people there, at least my friends, are really the best. Soon Gašper came and knew everything about how to start the car with cables and he managed it all. Thank you all, thank you, thank you, a million times thank you. My saviours. :)

Then I managed to get to Tržič and though the church was really really cold the feeling was amazing. We accompanied the choir Ignacij Hladnik for Christmas Cantata by Marko Mihevc and another 8 Christmas songs, all by John Rutter.

29th December. Woke up and first sewed a skirt, one for the concerts that are not really the fanciest so that a long dress would be required but I realised in the last few months that the skirt and the dress I have that are not full length come to be way shorter when I sit down than they should be. So now I have new free falling satin skirt and it was perfect for the concert I had in the evening with orchestra Cantabile. The concert was perfect but not that great for me because I had a huge headache and I messed up a few things. And then my friends were waiting for me in the big tent in Logatec and I kept them waiting more and more. :S And then when we got there I was cold and just a complete annoying mess so I have to apologise for that to two of my friends, one even more than the other. And have to thank Klara for taking the time to talk to me and talk some sense into me. :)

www.martinsek-foto.eu

30th December. Woke up in Logatec after spending the night there after the party, got into and awkward situation you might've heard about ;), went to church and hurried back home to prepare for another concert with Cantabile, this time in Union Hotel in centre of Ljubljana. This night was absolutely fabulous. All the famous Strauss songs as well as the amazing Alpha Centauri by Gal Gjurin and another famous beautiful compositions. I have to thank Mr. Grdadolnik for the opportunity again as every concert is better and better and mostly because of his hard work and the fact that he believes in us. And all the soloist he gathered were absolutely phenomenal. Plus I played really well and I felt like I deserve to be there again so the burden of the night before came off my shoulders. Then off to a late dinner with the entire orchestra and the crew and after a few hours a late night bike ride across the city.

31st December. Woke up later than expected and started baking the dessert for the New Year's gala dinner. Made a fruit cake, similar to the British one a few weeks ago, and chocolate muffins.

Top part of the cake: fireworks, down: 13'. :)

Then went to church, drove around city to get the presents and wishes to my loveliest Nina, Katarina and Maja (Klara was busy) as I was not spending the night with them and finally rushed to Logatec to celebrate the turning of yet another year. The night was sublime, amazing, perfect, everything. A few of my best friends, amazing dinner, all thanks to Klara and Vital for that, plus I even managed to get Klara and Krista into dresses ;), amazing music, drinks, more drinks, TV, singing, then as it was getting closer to midnight we went to the tent where a band was playing and then there were more free drinks coming, more friends, more new people and after dancing a new pair of ruined shoes. Worth it! :D Back in the house we somehow got to playing some SKI Challenge, unexpected turn of events I would say. And overall a night I will definitely remember for a very long long time. :)

1st January 2013. Went for a drink in the early afternoon after slowly waking up. Then home and to visit my sister and my brother. Then church to start the year properly. And then a quick 3 hour visit to my dear Ana who left for Germany in the morning then so of course I had to see her again before she went away for another 3 months.

My dear friends, bearing gifts. <3

2nd January 2013. Not feeling weel at first, actually not until I had to feel better so I wouldn't be a complete failure on a practise of our academic orchestra. During the break I wanted to get kebab and I came to horrible knowledge that fast food chains like kebab or McDonald's and even Frks don't have the students meals anymore. Which is a devastating news especially for me as I love it and because I never have time for anything more proper to eat. But the day is still perfect because later on I went to church with my amazing friends from Academy and met Maja and Klara as well as Filip and Lucija and I haven't seen these two in a while and they are just the one of the most amazing people I know so every time we do get to meet it makes my week, not just a day. :)

Love you all. <3

New addition to my winter clothes..

.. is again something I made. A bolero from this soft, furlike fabric I bought a few weeks ago and haven't got the time to sew it before.

I even managed to make a hood as it wasn't in the first plan because of course I didn't want to buy more fabric than I already did. But I managed, precise cutting and all. ;)

Hope you like it. :)

Lights and Snow

Yep, the lights are lit for happy December plus it's snowing here in Ljubljana and it stuck over the night, finally. And stuck on my nails for a bit as well.

It's the most wonderful time of the year. :)

December baking with slovene recipes

Yesterday our place was like a saint Nicholas' workshop. My mom and I made over 500 gingerbread biscuits. December really started and I'm counting down the days for all the perfect moments this month will bring.

25dag masla

6 jajc

25dag sladkorja

25dag medu

klinčki, cimet, limonina lupinica

1kg moke

2 pecilna praška

Rumenjake in polovico sladkorja penasto umešamo, dodamo med, začimbe, moko s pecilnim praškom in trd sneg iz beljakov v katerega smo utepli drugo polovico sladkorja. Vse skupaj dobro zmešamo. Na pomokani deski testo razvaljamo na 2-3mm in oblikujemo z modelčki. Pečemo na 180°C približno 7 minut. Lahko jih tudi premažemo z belim ledom.

700g mehke moke

300g ostre moke

300g sladkorja

500g masla

2 zavitka pecilnega praška

2 zavitka vanilijeva sladkorja

4 jajca

limonina lupinica

Vse sestavine zgnetemo v testo, piškote oblikujemo z mesoreznico z nastavkom za piškote. Pečemo jih pri 200°C približno 8 minut. Po želji jih okrasimo s čokolado.

Feel free to come and try them. :)

It's December

Can't wait

I honestly can't wait for December to come, first London and Oxford, then holidays and afterwards hopefully a day for me. :)

Happy December?

Yesterday I am going to the centre with a bus and there is this weird truck aside the road and reaching toward the trees. I look up and there is a man, a worker. I thought well isn't that a bit late to cut the branches? And then it was suddenly there. Hard to see. A rope with thousands and thousands small lights on. They are already decorating the city. I guess this year is really coming to an end, quickly, too fast. I haven't even properly started with this year yet, not even in school (God help me), and here it is, almost over? Well not really, but time does fly by. I look forward to December though (as November is just a crappy month) and I hope it will somehow last long, well I hope it'll feel this way. And hopefully I won't catch a nasty cold before the calendar turns. Cold, you can swing by later, I know you will. It's somehow inevitable.

And to all of you who are not from Ljubljana, do come and spend a few days here during Christmas and New Year, it is stunningly lovely around here.