New Year's Eve Post.

2014 is coming to an end. It's only 7 hours to midnight and I am thinking of the year that's about to end.

I am thankfully for everything that came my way in the past 12 months. Like truly thankful.

The year began with the two of us who sort of struggled with me being out of work. We struggled but were still very happy to be married and to start the year as a family of two. We're in love and support eachother through good and bad time, that's what being family means.

Soon into the year I got a temporary contract as a social worker in a Town Hall located several km from home. We were happy with it. We did struggle a little less since then.

At the end of the first 6 months term, my contract got lenghtened for another 6 months term, and we were even happier...

And we opened to life. And we were blessed and we now touch the sky with a finger because our family is happier and richer than ever! We're truly blessed and must thank God every day of our lives for everything that we have. We're now living this new adventure with amazement and joy...

In the meanwhile I was offered a permanent job in social work, some kms nearer to where we live and in a better work environment than the previous job...

I wonder if I really am worth all of this amazing stuff that's been happening to me!

I've the most supportive and loving husband ever and I am thankful for him, really.

I had everything I was hopeing for in 2014 and I just want to say Thank You for it.

I hope 2015 will be as good as the old year, but I am sure that some events that we're going to live within the first six months of 2015 will make it as special and truly amazing! And I am looking forward to those three special events that will keep our families busy and that will bring us all joy and memories to treasure all along the year...

Happy New Year to you, wherever you are... May your 2015 be as happy and as blessed as ever before.

On life lately.

I've been on sickleave from work for the past few days. A nasty stomach bug hit me and kept me home completely weakened.

Still, I managed to read a lot and am now engaged in Gaskell's "North & South" that I am absolutely fond of!

And I wrote a long letter to my pal Amy in America. I was on the perfect writing mood and I am pretty satisfied with the piece of mail that I produced. I also managed to decorate both letter and envelope myself.

While I was at home I also received two mails from Alice and Melyssa that did of course cheered me in the long hours spent between bed and sittee fighting stomach cramps.

So, I am now with two mails left to reply but I can take it easy with them two since they're newly received and I make it a point to answer within the month.

Yesterday I was feeling better already and did what I love to do best at weekends: baking! I tried a new recipe for a ring shaped cake we are now eating for breakfast. It's super soft and yummy!

And tomorrow it's back to work for a long day..

When the time in your hands is not enough, you must run faster than you can!

I made it: I survived the past week. Lovely hubby and I have just had a week that defining merely hectic is not realistic enough. It was manic, indeed!

Not only the job that kept us both very busy, with workloads that no one would envy us about, made this week crazy, but I managed to also sit an exam at the university (that by the way was a success!) and tried to visit my grandma, who's at the hospital, daily.

On Thursday both hubby and I were absolutely wrecked and I cooked some comfort food to rise our spirit up: stuffed wurstel, that by the way tasted great with a side dish of (oven cooked) chips.

I took  a picture of our dinner before cooking, we were too hungry to even wait for an after-baking shot and I have no other photo to offer of this tasty dish!

We are now relaxing over the weekend and will hopefully be ready to go through a week as hectic as the previous one, starting on Monday morning!

A Mrs' Mailbox - Vol 1

I've not been much around lately. Job and family've kept me pretty busy and I had to postpone my hobbies, to my big disappointment. But I am making the most of the long weekend and I will use my time off by starting a new feature on the blog! I'm calling it "A Mrs Mailbox" and, as you can easily guess, it'll talk about my snailmail adventures.

In the years my penpalling habit has changed a lot. I would write to tens of people and would have penpals spread all over the world in my teens. I am now a grown-up, with very little time in my hands and I am focusing on the few close penfriends I already have. To each one of them I write long, thoughtful letters. I put myself in my mails and love to share my life ups and downs with my faraway friends. 

Of course it's not very often that I receive letters at home. With 5 penfriends only I am lucky when I receive a letter per week. But I won't complain because them letters make my days brighter and keep me going untill I reach the next one! 

This week I managed to send out a letter to my friend Melyssa in Canada. I'd been trying to write to her for a few days in a row, but everytime I sat down to write I was way too tired and couldn't manage to write anything decent. Finally I could relax during the first of the four days long weekend and managed to finally write a whole letter in one sit! (another habit that had to change in my letter-writing is that I hardly write a letter in one single sit, but ofter need more than one to finish a proper mail) 

I received a letter this week from my dear friend in Hungary. She made a stationery of the sewing copybook I gave her for herbirthday earlier in February and I must say it looks so nice!

 I am off now... Starting a letter for my American friend! I am in the right penpalling mood! YAY!

A Mrs' Bookshelf - vol.1

Title: Miss Chopsticks
Author: Xinran
Pages: 240
Publisher: Vintage Books

Plot:  This is the story of three sisters (the story is romanced, but it takes inspirations from real life stories of three girls the author gets to know in her life).

The story takes place in China, in the nineties when the three girls -Three, Five and Six- leave their country village and go to the big city of Nanjing in search of fortune.

The novel developes the stories of the three girls who are employed in three different places, each one according to their talents. As the time goes by the girls learn that they are valuable as much as anyone because they have qualities and talents and that their father's belief is wrong: they are not chopsticks: utilitarian and easily broken, but valuable girls to be proud of.

In the city each one of the girls understands that there's another life than the one they've always known in the village they were born and bread in.

My opinion on the book: The story is well written and the books itself is a light read and a real page turner. Xinran draws a clear and coloured image of the big city and the reader is introduced to Chinese society from the first to the very last page of this novel. I truly enjoyed reading this book. On a total of five stars I would give this one four.

My week in pictures...

This week was busy and I would run as fast as ever to go back home from work, to my hubby who was home with a flu (he's now doing allright though, and we'll catch up on outdoor activities during the weekend).

The past week mainly meant baking and letter writing for me.

I baked two birthday cakes last Sunday (lactose free cakes):

The strawberry cake I ate with my family and the second cake was for the dinner we had with Ricky's side of the family. All in all I had a great birthday and was spoilt with nice presents.

I was spoilt on the mail front also, I received three beautiful letters:

I received letters from Amy in Georgia, Jessie in Illinois and Mel in Canada.

I also sent three mails and that made me proud of my penpalling achievement.

I sent two letters: one went to Mikaela in Finland and the other one (together with a very belated birthday present) went to Eva in Hungary. The third parcel went to Germany to a fellow bookcrosser who got "The Daughter of Time" from me.

My blog turns one!

A few days ago my blog turned one! I can't believe it's already been one year ago when I first put hand to this blog and left for this new adventure in the blogosphere.

My blog is still far from being popular but I like it so much! It's growing step by step, day by day, with me.

I tried my luck with regular features, but I've to put a temporary stop to them, at least untill I get used to the new job and routine.

I will still blog every time I feel like to. Because this is my place, this is the place I can be myself, no matter what. Here on this blog I can express myself as freely as I like!

So, happy birthday to my blog, Happy first birthday to "A Scrapbook of Life"!

Thankful Sunday - vol. 4

This past week my social worker job has proved to be a real challenge. I've doubted my professional and personal skills and I am still wondering if the job is something I am really made for.

via google

During those tough hours at work I thought about my life and I can say that today I am mostly thankful for my family, because even if far from being perfect they've always given me the best they could. My childhood was a serene time of my life, the hardship I may have encountered back in those teenagehood years were nothing as bad, because I had loving parents and my sister to support me.
I am married to the loveliest husband a woman can ever wish for. My husband would do anything for me and he respects me and loves me dearly. I am lucky because I have all that!
And today I can only say that I am thankful for the dear people I've got in my life, that never fail to make it special!

Things I love Thursday - Vol.4

Another week and another Things I love Thrusday date!

Yesterday we step foot into the Lent that will lead us to the Easter in 40 days time. Easter is one of my favourite time of the year: I just love the traditional cooking that comes in the immediate days before it.

The week's going allright so far, job's keeping me busy (like busy-busy), but I am coping fine so far. And I am still reading and enjoying time off with my family, that's what I really care about.

So, what I love this Thursday and want to share with my readers?!

1) Pizza - I am Italian and I can't but loving a good pizza! I am also pretty good at making my own pizza. Since I was diagnosed with severe lactose intolerance I had to learn to cook my own food at home, and that also include pizza. My favourite pizza? Pizza Margherita: tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil (oh, I love basil on my pizza!).

via Pinterest

2) The Walking Dead - I am not one for Zombie, I've never been and I didn't watch this one tv series untill I moved in with my hubby. He's a tv series freak and watches (way too) many series. Among them there's this one also. I happened to sit on the sofa one night with him and he was watching the first episode of 4th season. Well, I couldn't help getting hooked to the story and the characters and I am now watching season 4 with hubby and at the same time catching up on old seasons. It's addictive, really. I am like "I absolutely need to know what happens next" as soon as an episode of the Walking Dead is over!

 

3) Rimmel London Nailpolish - This English Rose color is my favourite and the one I am mostly wearing these days! It's a nice pastel shade: perfect for me!

Thankful Sunday - Vol. 3

The first week at my new job's over and I can't deny it's been a tough week to go through.

Waking up early everyday: 5.50 am and the alarm goes off. And a long commuting to go to and from work: I drive 150 km everyday! And the issues I deal with on top of that: some stories are just too overwhelming to deal with them all on my own, I tell you.

So, I would say that first of all I am thankful I made it to the weekend!

Yet I can't deny I am thankful for having a job again after 6 months of unemployment. As much as I love being a housewife I know we needed me to work full-time to earn enough to live of.

1) I am thankful for my job. As challenging as it is. Yes, even if the people I work for are not always the best people to deal with, I still claim I am thankful for the job I have. As long as I focus on the problem solving and the empathy I feel for people in need, my job is one of the most amazing jobs I can think of. (Of course, most of the time there's little magic about it and I can only focus on the stress I gain from it, but that's another story).

2) I am also thankful for having a loving, caring husband, who has been so kind to always make our bed in the mornings before leaving to work so that our room looked all clean and nice when I came home from work later in the day. It is amazing how a small gesture can fill a person's heart with gratitude.


3) I am thankful for the new car we purchased this week: it's a white Fiat Panda. We'll get it from the car shop sometimes next week. But this is it: meet our new family car! We were in need of a natural power car, because of natural gas being cheaper than diesel for my daily journeys to my workplace and back. It's the first big purchase we make as family. And we're absolutely pleased with it!

4) Lastly, but not least, I am really thankful for my pals who cheered me up after a tough work day with two long mails! I am so happy receiving mails at my new home adresse: it's exciting indeed! I will reply one of them over the weekend and will hopefully be writing the other one during the following week!

And now I am ready for a new week to start. What are you thankful for this week?!

Things I love Thursday - vol. 3

Happy Thursday folks!

I've been pretty busy this week and I am thankful tomorrow it's Friday already: Weekend is only one day away! Hooray!

As my 32nd birthday draws nearer I collect new things I like and would love to get:

1) Satchel Bag - I've recently fell for these lovely bags! I would so want one for my birthday! I already showed dear hubby where to purchase the perfect satchel from and I hope he'll be so kind to give me one! I like it better in briwnish leather, but any colour will do!

2) A Beakfast in London - a cookbook by Amelia Wasiliev. I saw it at the local bookshop and it's so beautiful a book! It would be perfect on our shelves at home!

3) This Leather Flip Cover - for my Iphone 4s. Isn't it beautiful?!

Thankful Sunday - vol.2

Hallo folks!

How has your week been?

Mine has been a sort of a rollecoaster. I got finally called from my office and I am starting tomorrow. That of course both makes me feel happy because we've been longing for a sort of a stable job for months. But it also freaks me out: because I know way too well what a tough job I will be doing starting tomorrow. Anyway, one of my resolutions for 2014 was to find a job and be happy with it, no matter what. And I will try my best to keep this one resolution going.

What I am thankful for this week, apart for the new job:

1) Making Homemade Bread - It was my first attempt ever and I can boast I did it so good that we ate a whole loaf of bread and a good half of the other loaf for dinner! We would stare at our homemade bread grow into the oven while cooking and it was a lovely first time experience. I want to make more of it in the future!

2) Receiving Mail at my new adresse - I know it may sound little to someone but to a penpaller like I am it's something to be very cheerful for! My very first mail at the new adresse was a bookcrossing book "The Daughter of Time" that I will soon be reading.

3) Finally finishing reading Earthly Joys - Even though I liked it ok, it was a bit too long and slow for me to fully enjoy it and to make of it one of my favourite books ever. I was craving the end of the novel and I was just too happy when I read the word end on Wednesday morning! There's a sequel to this novel, but I think I will take some time before looking for said volume. I have now plans to read Shirley by Charlotte Bronte, I've got the Italian translation of it.

4) Spending some time with my one and only - R. and I have had the chance to spend some quality time together. We indulged on dining out, cinema trips (we went to see Inside Llewyn Davis, that I really liked), and chilling out. R. wants me to be full of energy tomorrow when I start this new adventure at the social work office.

5) A spring-like weather - The weather has been very mild these past few days and it allowed me to take long walks both with my dog and alone. I love to walk in the nature, it never fails to relax me.

I wish you all a perfect happy new week! And never forget to look out for anything that you must be thankful for! Your days will look brighter then!

Things I Love Thursday - vol. 2

Happy Thursday folks! How's your week been so far? Hope you're having a blast! As for me, this week I've been still playing the full-time housewife role. Mind you, I love staying home and taking care of the house and the hubby, still I am well aware we need my job also to keep our household efficiently running.

I still had plenty of spare time to think of three more things I love and want to share on my blog.

1) Neat Handwriting - I am a handwriting freak, really. I love, love, love to look at fellow penpallers handwriting. And the neater a handwriting is the more I love it. I keep my own handwriting the tidier I can and I am proud to receive any positive vibe on the care I put in writing. Now, my handwriting is far from being perfect, but I like to think it's readable for most people.
Truth be told, I've not born with such a tidy handwriting, and untill 13 I used to write in Italic style and it wasn't readable for foreign pals, not for everyone anyway. I decided I had to keep my writing clearer and neater for pals to read it: I deserted the Italic cursive and adopted a more readable font. I am now proud to show my handwriting.

2) Camper shoes - I am absolutely in love with Camper shoes. I own a magnificent pair of them and I can state with no doubt that their are the most comfy shoes I've worn in ages and they are beautiful also that is a plus on shoes. Aren't these shoes adorable?! Want them so much!!!

3) Listography.com - It is a favourite site of mine. I am one for lists of all kinds, starting from grocery lists, to what-to-fit-in-my-bag-before-leaving-for-the-holiday lists! I list down everything I like and I love to keep them lists as a memory. And Listography is the site I was waiting for! A site for listing down everything you want to think of, organizing everything in categories. Oh, I love it indeed!

Thankful Sunday - vol. 1

I've always been a girl with a Pollyanna-ish attitude to life. No matter what happens I try to look at the bright side of it and smile to life. I keep telling myself I am a lucky one, and that I should be thankful for everything I have and achieve in my life.

I have a lovely husband, who spoils me rotten and who looks at me with adoring eyes. I have a big loving family: my parents, my sister, her fiancè, my in laws and the extended family I gained with marriage. They are caring and affectionate and I feel part of a big loving family. And then there are friends, even though our everyday lives keep us apart we're still there for eachother when we most need it. And penpals, they are my best friends, they are them people I can always rely on.

I think I should really start a weekly feature to give thanks for everything that I receive everyday of my life, from the people who sorround me, to the smallest things that still don't fail to make me feel happy and thankful for my life.

This week I am thankful for:

- celebrating our 4 months together as wife and husband. We've spent the most amazing months of our life and we are excited for the many more that will come! We celebrated by eating out at a fast food restaurant at lunch-time and we invited over for dinner hubby's uncle and aunt and offered them a homemade america club house sandwich. We had such a nice time together!

- a shy sun playing peek-a-boo with clouds. After days of torrential rain it was nice to finally see some sun, even if for a few hours only. After all we can't really complain too much: we're still in February and rain rules the roost of weather!

- catching up on my snail mail pile. I've never felt that good in ages! Having finally caught up on my mails makes me feel strong and ready for more mails to write. I am in a perfect penpalling mood and crave for new letters now! So people, what are you waiting for: do write me!

- my growing number of followers on Bloglovin. Having new followers does make me feel appreciated! It must mean some people have a genuine interest in what I blog about. And it doesn't fail to make my self-esteem grow!!! Thank you everyone who follows me, thank you really!

I promise I will start making photos of what I am thankful for so that it'll soon become a photo entry from next week onward!

Ready for a new week to start?! So watch out for any good things that happens in your life! And be thankful for everything that you get, even the smallest thing! Your life will be brighter than ever before!

Things I Love Thursday - vol. 1

Today I write my first post of a new feature on my blog. Things I love Thursday is a popular feature on many of the blogs I follow and I like this feature a lot. I had never considered starting one myself, untill I read that starting a regular feature is good if you want to increase the number of your followers and want your blog to gain more popularity.

Now, I admitt my blog is far from being popular, with only 27 followers on bloglovin (and I want to say special thank to every one of them 27 people who take their time reading my pages!), but getting always new people who click the blue button and start following me does make me so happy and satisfied of what I am creating on this space.

So, I try my luck with Things I Love Thursday and hope I will be able to keep it regular and interesting for my followers to read!

1) French Manicure - I so much love french manicure. I'm not much of a girlie girl, I am not one for make up and pretty dresses. But nails do fashinate me. I wear nail polish regularly, because my nails are not that strong and doing housework does make them even weaker. Nail polish protects them and prevents them from too much flacking. I love all colours of nail polish, the brighter the better! But french manicure is my biggest passion. I learnt to make my own french manicure and I am pretty satisfied with my results (that I proudly want to show on the second photo following this point), but I gave myself a professional french manicure for my wedding. And my! I couldn't stop staring at my nails once the beautician was finished with working on my hands (unluckily our photographer wasn't as keen on my manicure and I haven't got a good enough shot of my french manicure)!

2) Waking up early in the morning - Yes, I love to wake up early in the mornings. I am an early bird, even at weekends. I wake up around 7 am when I am off work and love to indulge in reading while having my favourite breakfast (lactose-free cappuccino and cereals). I love early mornings, when I am the only person awake at home. I've always loved that me-time at home and I don't mind sleeping less if that grants me that luxury!

3) New York Bagels - Oh, I first tasted them in New York in October last year and that was love at first bite! Of course due to my lactose intolerance I couldn't indulge in the many creamy variety of bagel fillings they offered, but I was more than happy with my salami bagel to start a new day with!

photo via urbanspoon.com