2013 Resolutions?

Lovely and inspirational art print by Parada Creations.

So the Christmas season is finally over and here we are, looking forward to this brand new year. And, as most say, a new year brings a new life. Have you ever asked yourself why is that so? And how do you feel about that concept?

We all know there isn't a straight relationship between calendar seasons and changes in our personal lives, but most of the time I find myself believing that a new year is equivalent to a new cycle and many new oportunities.

Like many, I also like to look over my last 12 months, appraising all the recent events in my life. Then, I decide what things (be it daily customs or aspects of my personality) are good for me to keep and what aspects are bad and tend to wither my life and inner self. And then some lots of resolutions arise. I have many, many goals for this year, such as

• Try new jewelry making styles and techniques
• Develop Wilwarin Designs' international website
• Take more pictures
• Visit new places
• Learn to properly cook
• Learn to make my own candles and soaps
• Meditate everyday
• Start practising yoga
• Read more
• Blog more!
• Find happiness in what I do (obviously I don't mean jewelry making).

What about your goals/resolutions? ;)

So long 2012!!

I know it's been two entire months since my last post! Last time I came here, I presented my cat Misha, who is now almost five months old and turned out to be a very beautiful feline child. A home with a cat is, indeed, a joyful home... well, except for when it comes to cleaning Misha's mess. ;)

I hope you've had a wonderful winter holiday along with your family and most loved ones. Now, 2012 is coming to an end... but before we step into a brand new year (and a brand new chapter), there is still a small surprise. If you haven't been to my Etsy shop the last couple of days and/or if you're not following me on Twitter yet, perhaps you would like to know that ALL my items are 13% off until the end of February. This is the perfect time to get that piece you have enjoyed so much for a lesser cost.

Last but not least, I'd like to say thank you, to all of you my lovelies, who have supported and cherished me and my work during the last twelve months. 2012 has been a great year for Wilwarin Designs, with many conquered blessings, starting from winning Beadaholique's "Jewels of January" contest to the opening of my Etsy shop and international sales. And all of this wouldn't have been possible without you all. So thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! ♥

May 2013 bring you good fortune and perseverance in all of your life areas!

Happy New Year!!!

Meet my family's newest member...

He's cute, he's sweet, and he's a purring machine! He's Misha, our new whiskered baby. :)

I've been what they call a "crazy cat lady" since a teenager. In fact, my feline fascination is so big that my friends say I'll get old in a big country house bursting with kitties. Thanks to Wilwarin Designs and all the effort I've put into it, I've managed to save some pennies to sustain a furry buddy - and give it the best life it could possibly have!

Misha is only around 3 months old and he was available for adoption from a local street cat housing project (they're not really an association but more of a group of friends who share the same passion). It's amazing, the amount of animals which are daily abandoned and/or neglected. Knowing how much I love kitties, I just couldn't stand doing nothing about it.

Before finding Misha, I browsed so many adoption websites and replied to so many ads. I was initially looking for a longhaired buddy, because I'm so freaking obsessed with fluffy creatures and my last cat, whom I loved so much and miss even more, had this beautiful and oh-so-smooth long hair. But soon (after a dozen adoption failures) I realized that medium-long haired cats were the most sought ones because most people feel the same way I do (or just like to display them)... So, instead, I decided to put my 'greed' away and just go for a sweet kitty looking for love. And then, I found Misha.

I stumbled on this project's blog the other day and, as I browsed their list of homeless cats, this baby drawed my attention. When I picked up the phone and dialed their number, my hopes weren't actually high at all because I'd heard the sentence "that cat has already been adopted" so many times the last two or three weeks. But not Misha (he had another name before we adopted him but we find 'Misha' much more fitting) - and after a few questions, they let me stay with him.

Despite of not having the looks I was hoping for when I started searching for a cat, I'm so so far from regreting my choice. Misha is truly adorable! His adaptation in the new home and family was nice and quick. After just a few hours, he plays a lot, purrs on my lap, sleeps with me at night and, of course, messes everything up :)) He seems a very happy kitten - and I'm a very happy own- ...pardon me, slave!

He luvs to sleep on my lap... for HOURS if possible. Who can resist such cuteness!

Peek-a-boo :)

Misha staring mindfully at one of his favourite toys.

I'm now logging off to try to tire Misha, because it's bed time for me and he's still electric. I'm so screwed. :D

Have a great week everyone, and for my north american followers in the east, be safe and believe. "After a storm, a rainbow always appears". My prayers are with you!

Yours,

Ana

International Giveaway - by Wilwarin Designs & Ink and Iridescence!

Ahoy!

I know it's been a long time (again) since my last post; and that would thanks to my brand new "super time consumer": my Master's. A single week of classes was enough to make pull half my hair off as I realized it would be really hard to manage my routine and free time - because most of these days I simply don't have any. Although I looove to learn new things everyday, this course has been pushing me to the very limit, gifting me with many sleepless nights and too many hours of computer working (all landscape architecture and territorial development related). Thus, it's been a huge task to keep Wilwarin Designs and this blog updated. Anyway, here I am now. Right? :)

So this is a very special weekend for me, as one of my autumnal items is featured in this super, fantastic, truly delightful giveaway by the blogger Jemimah C. from Ink and Iridescence. I hereby invite you all to participate, as this necklace is one of my very favourite pieces and pretty much ANYONE in the world can get it... absolutely for free!! :) For a direct link to Jemimah's giveaway post, just click in the prize's picture...

Clicky clicky to enter the giveaway! :)

I personally would love to thank Jemimah C. one more time for this amazing oportunity and also for all the LOVELY feedback from her and all the other ladies who have already met my shop and work. I hope you all will enjoy your staying here and all my other pages. Good luck all!

Finally, I won't have to spend this weekend at college working, so I'll certainly dedicate some of my precious time working on Wilwarin Designs and updating my store (wee!)... so be on the lookout! :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone,

Ana

Welcome Fall! (plus Apple Mabon Bread recipe)

"With the feast of Mabon, the fall Equinox, we acknowledge the balance of light and dark, life and death, growth and rot. We honor all those things that enable our world to grow and restore itself. On this holy tide, we hail the hunter and the hunted, the predator and the prey, the plough and the scythe, the blessings of growth and of decay. We honor our resources, and the frugality and careful planning of every ancestor whose careful household management got their families safely through the cold constraints of winter. Mabon is a time of remembrance and of culling away, of honoring what we have, what we need, but also what we can provide to others. It is a time to look clearly at where we are weak in spirit, where we are strong, and where we stand somewhere in between, a time to take stock of our portion of gratitude and blessings for the coming season."

~from Patheos.com, author unknown~

So this is it, Autumn has arrived! I'm a little too tired for blogging right now so I've decided to just leave this small yet wonderful excerpt for one to meditate on - which is better than anything I could try to write right now, really. I've had a very busy day with many college issues to manage. But still, I've had a little time for some crafting and even a little kitchen magick! :)

My first this year's Autumnal creations...

And my first attempt at the called Apple Mabon Bread; perhaps I should have added more apples and not so much honey... maybe a little too wet, still, it is delicious! :) Here's the recipe by CharmingPixieFlora right below for you to try it as well:

I'm now off to eat some of my sweet bread, sip on some ginger ale and meditate on what I'm thankful for... what about you; how are you greeting Fall? :)