TL;DR? These questions that I want answers for: What's up with all the discounts? Are designer brands worth it? Is "Made in Italy" actually better than "Made in China"? Since I hit 30, I've been trying to buy less but better. It would appear that, by the power of osmosis or some other form of … Continue reading Clothes Shopping in 2018: what’s the answer?
There's no point in denying it any longer. The evidence is all there on the top and middle shelves of my refrigerator: I'm a hipster. If you should have the misfortune to open my fridge, you'll see them there as clear as day. Various containers in glass or plastic with a makeshift label. Not only am … Continue reading Strawberry Vinegar Shrub
According to Word Reference, the Italian word "uffa" means "what a bore!" But, as you most probably already know, Italians have their own body language too and when uffa is accompanied by a shrug of the shoulders, maybe a pair of eyes darting up to the heavens, a helluva lot more can be conveyed in those two … Continue reading “Uffa” – essential vocabulary when renovating in Italy
A man turned up on my doorstep earlier today and he asked "is Alessandro home?" "No, he's not back yet," I reply. "Ok, then I'll tell you. Your dog has destroyed my vegetable patch. I saw with my own eyes that your dog was at the vineyard this morning and now I come home and … Continue reading Problems On The Horizon
The wonderful thing about Veneziana flooring is that it's made to order. Each one is completely unique and you can choose the exact composition of the stones. In our case, we went for an off-white base with red gems from China, dark green stones from Portugal, and a little bit of mother of pearl (but that's the most expensive) and some caramel coloured stones to break it up.
The internet, as for most things, is a wonderful source of information but also the origin of much paranoia. Typing "how to prepare an allotment" or "grow your own vegetables..." churns up more questions than answers. I mean, I know the soil is mainly volcanic... but I don't know about the exact pH or the composition of the topsoil. Even then, when I've understood that carrots need sandy soils, chili peppers need sunshine, what about fennel? *cue another Google search...*
We're moving forward with the house renovation! It's all getting rather exciting. As of today, the roof is now finished - new layer of insulation underneath, new tiles, a couple more windows to bring in more light, and the solar panels.... It's taken a while but it's finished and finally the builders are starting to … Continue reading Onwards And Upwards: The Roof And The Walls
"Slowly but surely," is the answer. At the beginning stages of a house renovation, it's completely linear. Just bricks and mortar; walls and a roof. There's nothing else. It becomes frustrating because you can't say "well, these guys for X have been held up on another project so let's do Y, while we're waiting..." Now … Continue reading “How’s The House Coming Along?”
Just one quick look at the calendar and you know this week is going to be amazing. I mean, it's not even once every hundred years that Valentine's Day and Pancake Day/Mardi Gras land on the very same day. I could have gone full out on the heart-shaped American style pancakes with maple syrup and … Continue reading “The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray”
It's now February. February! How did that happen? We're already a good chunk into what I still think of as the new year. I think it's because I am starting to feel increasingly settled here in Italy, the days are going faster, the evenings are getting longer but I sometimes feel that I let days slip … Continue reading How Is It February Already?
The Burnt Cream Blog 