I love walking and unexpectedly finding murals on the walls. They are imaginative, colorful and put a smile on the viewers. This mural is located in Stanford. a fancy shopping center European style, where many stores display expensive merchandise. This long wall has been covered with a view of a French country town, very quaint and peaceful. Have you noticed the cat? Famous muralist John Pugh painted this scene.
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In the photo below, the balcony rail and the open door are real, everything is a make believe.
The plant on the ground and the hanging pots are real, nothing else is.
In this photo only the tree branch is real.
Murals are nothing new, human beings have had the need to describe their environment since the beginning of time, sometimes adding fantasy to their paintings and sometimes seeing the reality as it is. In any case, murals transport me out of reality into a different world for a few minutes. This is my entry for Dan Antion’s Thursday Door Challenge. Ciao,
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
The Christian calendar marks Carnevale as the period between the Epiphany and the first day of Lent, this being the day when all the fatty food must end until Easter Day. In Austria and Bavaria, Carnevale called Fashing starts the day of the Epiphany. In the history of time, Carnevale has been a magic time of divertissement, debauchery, costume parties, eating, unrestrained sex, and a time during which life challenges were momentarily forgotten. We know how much we need to forget the times of oppression we are living in today!
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During this time, it is a must to wear frivolous masks to disguise one’s identity, as every prank is permitted and accepted, one doesn’t want to be recognized the next day for the illicit deeds done.
Romans celebrated their Gods with Carnevale festivities. The use of masks concealed their licentious behaviors and their social status, allowing old and young, rich and poor, nobles, servants, slaves and prostitutes to mingle and dance together until dawn. They also celebrated Bacchus, the God of wines, with rivers of wines and long hours of dances in the streets of Rome, hence the name Bacchanalia. The gladiators entertained the public and the king of the festivities, elected by the people for only the duration of the feasts, organized public games to which everybody could participate.
(All photos taken by Gioia Co. Italian Products and Imports)
Italy is one of the country in Europe most famous for the celebration of Carnevale and Venice is the fulcrum. Venice is a magical and mysterious town on its own, but at Carnevale the town returns back in time with all the extravagant and colorful costumes people wear and breath-taking masks to cover their faces. Strolling in costumes through the narrow streets of a foggy Venice in February is like walking in the 16th century. Everybody is disguised, people laughing, chatting, a glass of wine here, a dance there and unruly behavior comes out.
Goldoni’s comedies, a famous Venetian theatre writer of the 1700s and the Commedia Dell’Arte, based on improvisation on stage, made possible all the mockery and ridicule of public figures and government officials through masks and costumes. Plays of Commedia dell’Arte are still fascinating and alive in the arts of Italian theatre.
Here in the States, Carnevale is well known in New Orleans, no other state celebrates it, but in my circle of people, there is a large communities of Italian culture lovers who honor Carnevale as one of the many excuses to celebrate life. The other day I said that dressing up is fun, cheerful and erases all the spider webs from the brain. For one or two days we can forget all the troubles.
For the group, I made the friable “chiacchiere” traditional Venetian cookies, it translates in chit-chat as they seem to make The sound of people chit-chatting. The recipe is below.
Chiacchiere Carnevale Cookies
Double all the ingredients by one to make any quantity you want.
1 egg, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon anice, limoncello, orange liqueur, or anything citrus liqueur, grated lemon skin, 1 pinch of salt, 5.oz. flour + flour to work the dough on the wood board later, 1 tablespoon of baking powder. Mix everything, make a ball, rest dough 30 min in plastic wrap on the counter. Roll the dough flat about 1/4”, cut strips in the bias, then form any shapes you like, even a mask shape. I knotted my chiacchiere. Fry in vegetable oil or bake at 375 F. for 12-15 minutes. Add powder sugar as soon as the chiacchiere come out of the fryer or the oven.
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
Visiting stores in the month of November feels a little bit like taking a ride on the carousel. Stores are filled with an exceptional amount of merchandise, all very shiny and glittery. All decorating styles are there for all tastes and pockets, Sottish, English, American Country, Urban, Modern, Abstract, French, Evocative of the past, and so on. I limit the amount of time I want to spend in stores at this time, otherwise I will be dumbfounded in a few hours. Luckily for me, I shop with my eyes. If I don’t see immediately the item I am looking for, or that special something that catches my eyes, it means it’s not there and leave. (Click on each picture to view it larger)
This year for Thanksgiving I am leaning towards a bit of Baroque style. As a table runner, I will use an Indian shantung fabric remanence from a jacket I made. It’s multicolors, shining with gold filaments. The tablecloth is a damask from Venice, Italy and the napkins is a fabric printed with paisleys.
I have always been attracted by gold and silver together, like the sun and the moon sometimes shine together in the sky. The energy they bring together is fantastic.
The chargers are not plates but mats heavily beaded and the napkin holders are made by me. My table décor often doesn’t match on purpose as I generally don’t match things in my daily life, except the shoes, I do match those. I love the intricate ideas that come in my mind when I decorate and find many ways to surprise people.
The two reindeers were too cute to pass up. They look almost like a McKenzie Childs’s design but they are not. Now, I need food, people and bubbles.
This is a day to really be thankful for our blessings. I wish all of you a great Thanksgiving. Ciao, Valentina
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
Many years ago, when I moved to California, the backyard of the house I purchased was burned by the sun, arid, no one needle of grass in site and nothing was growing. The climate was sunny and mild, I saw the potential for reproducing a Mediterranean garden with a small orchard, as I was used to. My vision was clear, the canvas was blank and I started to create.
I planted first citrus trees, lemons, blood and navel oranges, then apples, apricots, berries and a two avocado trees that have not produced anything. Then, I started to create vignettes of relaxation and beauty with garden furniture, fun décor, lighting and accessories, but I left a certain roughness to it, I didn’t want a manicured garden. These are the blood oranges growing over the arbor that bless me with health all year, except August and September. I really have made a small paradise in my backyard.
It was necessary to learn how to process all the fruit I was hoping to get and certainly, I did get a bounty from nature. I only used water, good organic fertilizer and my singing. Yes, plants feel and hear the voice of the person who loves them, the more I sing to them, the happier they get and produce more. I know they love the operatic voices of il Volo, Cecilia Bartoli, Maria Callas, Pavarotti, Caruso, and most of the sopranos/tenors I listen to. The result is a florid, thriving garden I can eat off of it.
Now, I make citrus juices mixed with other fruit or vegetable for the morning breakfast. I add nothing else to the mixture, no water, no sugar, no additives or coagulants. My juicer discards fibers and peels, what I get is pure juice. This is oranges and raw beets.
This is a juice made with oranges, apricots and lemons.
Here I have a delicious glass of oranges and carrots.
Here there is mixture of red bell peppers, oranges and apples. All these juices lend themselves to become an alcoholic spritzer made with a bit of bubbles or mineral water for a non-alcoholic refreshing drink.
Aside from juices, I use my oranges and lemons as house cleaning products, facial masks and facial treatment products. I don’t have to buy anything the market proposes any more and I avoid chemicals, or other unpronounceable stuff that enter our body when we use commercial made products. I talk about what to do with citrus in my booklet Naked Lemons, the book Facebook blocks every time I advertise it, as the word “naked” suggests pornography to their stupid algorithms.
I hope you will try some of these, there is nothing to it, it takes very little time to make a glass loaded with pleasure. Ciao. Valentina My books on Amazon
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
The holidays are approaching, it’s that time of the year when I search for specialty food and drinks. I read about wines fermented in the bottle instead of barrels and got interested. I found Lunaria, a fizzy wine made in Italy with an ancestral method of fermentation in the bottle.
I know a friend who is still using ancient filters belonging to his grandfather to make the same style of wine.
Almost any grape is good to produce wine fermented in the bottle. Grape gets pressed as usual to turn it into must. As soon as the must starts to ferment, meaning the sugar reduces and alcohol increases, the wine must gets filtered and bottled. By doing this, the natural fermentation stops and that small amount of sugar left in the liquid starts a new fermentation right in the bottle, giving a unique flavor to the final product. The residue at the bottom of the bottle looks like small crystals and tastes sweet.
Baresana, Menavacca, Primus, Sweet White Muscat are the grapes used in the region of Puglia to make this style of wine.
The next bottle is Cremant de Borgogne. I learned about it while I was watching one of my favorite shows “Escape To The Chateau” produced by Dick and Angel Strawbridge, a British couple who bought a dilapidated Chateau in France and moved the entire family to start their new lives in France.
They are different styles of wines and both are excellent choices. The producers don’t pay me a cent to say these nice things, it is my choice, my taste and my preference over some other wines. What food do I pair these wines with? Nuts and cheeses, savory aperitifs, caviar, and any celebratory food. Any time is a good time to pop a cork. Ciao, Valentina My Books On Amazon
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
Yesterday, Aug 1st, a very powerful time started, the Leo time as per the zodiac sign of this month in the New Moon. Courage, bravery, charisma and confidence are the quality of the lion and of a Leo person.
Dusan-Veverkolog-ZXuDkw7Be7E-unsplash
Today, for 21 days, at 7:00 pm do this exercise: put on an evocative music you like, and for 4 minutes 49 seconds, imagine and manifest anything you like. The powerful Leo in the New Moon will help you raising your vibrations to get rid of all negativities. By sharing with cosmos your intentions and desires for 21 days, you will become a warrior for the for the well-being of yourself and the world, for the beauty that you can spread around, the richness of your soul, the life you want and why not, money as well. We were born to win, enjoy life and fight to achieve something good. Let’s go warriors, 21 days of manifesting at 7:00 pm, whatever you are doing at that time, leave it and take 4 minutes 49 seconds only for you by yourself. I started this exercise yesterday, and I am sorry wasn’t able to tell you about it yesterday, not enough time to squeeze in this message, however it’s OK if you start it a day later, still need to do it for 21 days.
Leo Colors
For the duration of 21 days: Add Leo colors and flowers to your special corner or altar: yellow, orange, sunflowers and marigolds. Meditate gazing into a fire or a lit candle. Practice affirmations in the mirror. Write your intentions on paper. Meet people you life and have fun.
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
The air of this May evening is fizzy and clean. Breathing without the city smog feels liberating. The yellowish streetlamps of this area add a sense of antiquity bathing everything in a golden glow, just as I remember these streets were in my childhood. Here, yellowish lights are still preferred, they keep the circadian cycle in check. Mornings are somewhat busy under a hot sun, evenings are supposed to be slower, people want to see the stars in the sky not being blasted with bright streetlights when they stroll for pleasure. Life is much slower here, it rolls differently than everywhere else and every moment has its own meaning. There is the smell of wood burned in home’s fireplaces, and meat being grilled in fire brick ovens at butcher shops where passersby stop to get a cone full of delightful small bites of roasted meats.
Spring Horse and Carriage Show
A stylish landau carriage with a colorful harnessed horse is parked by the marble steps waiting for an elegant woman to board it. Her hat made of feathers by a skilled hatter reveals a certain social wealth. I notice her fine shoes, silk and embroidered in soft pastel colors, just like her gloves. I would love to wear those shoes. Enchanted, I admire her for a short while, her gestures are feminine and well-structured as if she went to a finishing school. Her affected behavior reflects the manners of the time when beauty perfected even in the smallest details served to enhance the harmony of a woman. A man in a top hat gives her a hand to climb on the landau… soon they disappear in the distance.
Spring Horse and Carriage Show
I woke up from a dream and returned to where I really was, in Alberobello, Puglia, in an evening in May colored with yellow glowing streetlights, women in jeans and high heels, modern cars, colorful scooters, fashionable shops and the smell of wood-burning in fireplaces, the only thing that indicates I was in a slow life in the country and not in the city. I was there to see the Spring horse and carriage show. The horses wearing shoes were elegantly dressed for trotting the streets, and so were men and women on display riding the carriages.
Spring Horse and Carriage Show
I often travel in different eras, I guess it is my way to escape this reality that stinks a little more every day. Ciao, Valentina Amazon Author’s Page
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
The epidemic restrictions have kept the world apart. Surely, I am not the only one feeling the solitude. Today, I called a longtime friend in Italy, a school friend, and asked her how her store was doing. She designs her own shoe lines and sells them in her store located in the fashionable center of my native city. She said the last week was a week to forget, nobody walked in the store.
The newly Italian puppet government established during the 2020’s pandemic (?), the kind of government nobody voted but “the class of politicians” appointed to the throne of power is doing a very poor job maintaining the economy of the country above water. They are bankrupting every business in any field, tourists are staying away due to the many restrictions applied to visitors and they are keeping the population in fear with unreal laws. The country is basically under a new socialist dictatorship.
Alley in Polignano a Mare Polignano a Mare Terrace
Let’s start from the beginning. Some “notable” or so reputed foreign newspaper said that Italy was taken as an experiment for Covid 19. It turns out that some devilish world power wants to see how fast a strong and century-established culture like the Italian culture could be irreversibly broken and eliminated from the face of the earth. Italians have strong tight families, where a woman and a man still make babies, people believe in God, respect the elderly, the teachers and the flag. Italian people are surrounded by beauty every day they go out the doors; the country has a concentration of the richest arts never seen in any other country, has superb food and wines. Italy produces the fastest cars, beautiful fashion and flirtatious attractive women are everywhere. Love is always in the air and music is romantic.
Alberobello Main Street
Italy covers only 0,1% of the world surface. The Italian language is not spoken everywhere else in the world, but a lot of foreigners study to be fluent in Italian. If the Italians had not been there when they did, the world today would have been something else. The Italian peninsula is very small and full of disasters: earthquakes, erupting volcanoes, river floods, landslides, and much more. To live there under all these nature’s phenomena would have been a good bet for some other population, yet Italians have succeeded to create a beautiful country on dangerous territory.
Think of Venice built on water, it is a difficult city to live in, but precious mosaics, the marble designs, the embroidery in architecture, the fine glass art have made it a mysterious beauty the entire world wants to visit and experience emotions no other city offers.
Venice – Ponte Rotto
Think of Naples, Pompei and surroundings built on volcanoes, on boiling sulphury Geiser and on yellowish tufa stone, with an ancient under city still a marvel to visit. It thrives with creativity and the art of living.
Amalfi
Pompei
Think of Rome and how the ancient Romans built an empire in such intelligent and modern way with the ancient resources they had. Their buildings, aqueducts, arches and cupolas withstood the taste of time and all the natural disasters. Today, we are still admiring their arts and skills.
The Italians invented the landscape mixed with a harmonious architecture that did not exist before and since the Renaissance has attracted the world over. They have invented a way to be happy in the enjoyment of the landscape, as every small area is a concentration of ecstasy.
These are exactly the reasons those devilish world powers I was referring in the beginning want to destroy to break Italy. Italy is too uncomfortable for regimes that want to keep people crushed under their thumbs. Creative people don’t follow rules, creative people find alternative ways to make a living, creative people don’t break easily, creative people cannot be controlled. The world power’s experiment is failing. Italians might be suffering now, but they will rise and shine again. Italians have learned to live with nature’s disasters, this rough moment will slide off their shoulders. Italian heritage is strong and cannot be annihilated. Days will be blue again, Italians are still creating beauty that will eliminate the satanic people who want to see Italy falling in the Mediterranean Sea. It’s not going to happen, because when the people rebel against evil powers God leads the way.
The “new world disorder” will have to wait, therefore SCREW all the people who sold their souls to satanic forces. Ciao, Valentina Amazon Author’s Page
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion designer, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
We are just about at the end of this year and tomorrow will be Thanksgiving Day. At this point, I would have to use a French expression “Les jeux sont fait, rien ne va plus” meaning “the games are done, nothing else will go”. No, I say no to this, the games are not over yet. Maybe some people have not produced or achieved what they had in mind for this year, and if that’s the case, I would have to say it was not important for this year.
The games are not over yet refers to the challenging games that will start next year. It will be the year of Venus. The planet Venus will dominate the Universe, it will fight the influence of Mars until it gets defeated. Venus, being a female planet, will fight all negative influences by bringing beauty and love. Next year women will do exceptional things, the truth about what is happening in the world will be revealed and we will start living in harmony. It’s not going to be an easy year, beauty and love will be our ammunition.
Calling all Women….! Starting this Thanksgiving, prepare a beautiful Thanksgiving table if you celebrate this holiday, if not, prepare a nice dining table every time you eat from now on. Get dressed as beautifully as you can every day, leave the exercise clothes at the gym and wear clothes that will highlight your beauty, personality or quirkiness. Raise your emotional vibration, raise your feminine conscious, let the world know the wind of femininity is coming.
Women are mothers, they represent the earth, they are grounded. A woman giving birth under a bombshell, knows she is still living a beautiful moment in a brutal reality and knows people will help her in that act of giving her baby to the light. Woman are the beginning and the completion of everything.
With our Venus power, next year we will get rid of the dark and ugly only with beauty. As I have said many times, beauty will multiply when you show what is it to those who live in the dark.
Many people did not make it this year, I am thankful I am still alive and kicking, I am thankful I have the power to think, read, write and create beauty. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Ciao, Valentina Website
Valentina Cirasola is an art lover, author, and a lifetime designer. Often people describe her as “the colorist” as she loves to color her clients’ world and loves to create the unusual. Currently, she consults on colors that will enhance clients’ personalities and are in tune with their lifestyles. To add harmony and peace to the homes, Valentina creates atmospheres using proper lighting and creating fantasy rooms instead of typical rooms looking like furniture showrooms. She is the author of six published books, two of which are on design subjects and colors. Amazon and Barnes&Noble
Autumn is full of warm colors and flavors, it is one of my favorite seasons, I was born in October and naturally aligned with this season. The land abounds of earthy food. I remember walking in my grandfather’s land through rows of tall grains swaying in the warm winds ready to be harvested. His vineyards were my favorite places, full of beautiful fat grapes hanging off old branches with foliage rich of jewel colors. I knew at a young age, one day I was going to like wines and it didn’t take very long. My parents gave me a taste of wine diluted with water every time I asked for it. In Italy, it is common for kids to taste life in small bites at a time, it makes them feel grown ups.
My appetizers with Beaujolais Nouveau
For the last seventy years, the third Thursday of November has been declared the day of the Beaujolais Nouveau. It’s a celebration of the new wine, made in the South of France as a way to be thankful to nature for a good harvest and people’s dedication to hard work. I remember the day of the harvest of our local Puglia wines, the workers getting together with my grandfather and my family to celebrate in the vineyards singing, eating, and drinking. The celebration of new wines is the same everywhere there are passionate people about wines. It was a happy time for everybody, and I didn’t even understand what was all about, I just knew I wanted to be there in the middle of the fun.
Beaujolais Nouveau grows in a region right under the Burgundy area, made of Gamay grape, very fruity, with a purple-pink coloration, it is always served slightly chilled. It’s a “fresh wine” with low tannin, easy to drink especially in the company of friends. Look at how Japanese people enjoy this day of celebration. One woman in this video says Beaujolais Nouveau is good for the skin and relaxes her.
Well, all the wines do that. Wines are works of art for a relaxed lifestyle, they express emotions, the flavors of the terroir, and express personal experiences, in fact, not every one tastes the same thing.
So very little is going on these dark days, let’s take what we can, let’s celebrate peace, life and love. Let’s be in the light and in nature with all that brings us excitement. Ciao. Valentina Design Website
Valentina Cirasola is a designer who cooks. She has a deep interest in food that led her as an autodidact in the studies of food in history, natural remedies, nutrition, well-being and learning food of the world. She wrote two books on Italian regional cuisine and a few others on color theory and travel. Valentina says colors and food, style and beauty are indivisible. She lives by this belief. Robert Taitano, a friend and business associate says:“ Valentina – an International Professional Interior Designer is now giving you an opportunity to redesign your palate”. Get your copy of Valentina’s books onAmazon and Barnes&Noble
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