Portrait: Shakira

Hi guys!
I finally went through my portrait "collection" a couple of days ago and added a new one of Shakira.
Looking back on the first portraits I've ever made I see a big difference between my most recent ones and the old ones. I'm really happy to see this development :)
There are portraits I can't even look at without saying "How could I have even posted this on my blog?It's so bad !" :)

But ,hey, people learn from their mistakes (or they should) and I'm aware that I still have a lot of mistakes to correct.

Anyways,without further ado, this is my portrait of Colombian singer Shakira:

I'm also running out of inspiration for which celebrity I should draw next. I know,I know,  there are plenty of celebrities out there but it would mean more to me if I draw someone you would really like to see.

So please leave requests in the special section in the menu or by leaving a comment down below.

Thanks for checking out my blog and have a peaceful and relaxing  Sunday !

The artist in us!(Gift idea)

I think I'm not mistaken when I say that most of us were "artists" when we were children.I remember it was so fascinating to take a colored pencil and draw something that didn't resemble what I wanted to draw at all :)

It is such a nice feeling when a child comes up to you with his or her drawing and proudly explains what each and everything is and looks at it as if it's a masterpiece.My definition of art is the will to create beauty out of anything.
I will start a series of posts about some nice gift ideas for that special someone in your life.
I started my blog as an "arts" blog,focusing on my portraits and other drawings. I remember drawing the first portrait I posted on my blog on Christmas Eve 2011. :)

Today,I can suggest you a gift that would bring a smile on the face of both children and adults.

Brookstone has this really awesome art set that is definitely suitable for children and grown-ups.You could give it as a present to your 6 year old nephew or niece,your teenage daughter or your artist friend.It is recommended for ages 3 and up and the great thing is that the colors are all non-toxic.
The set contains  18 colored pencils,8 watercolors cakes ,12 oil pastels, a sharpener and an eraser.

I remember loving oil pastels when I was a kid.It didn't matter how messy I would get after using them. I always used  them on my coloring books or just to scribble on a piece of paper.Then, when I got older I switched to colored pencils,which I still use now for my portraits.

I think this is a really fun,creative gift.I really love gifts that mean something to the person you're giving them to.I would get more excited for this than for chocolates or wine or home decorations :)

Maybe you will take this into consideration next time you have a birthday or a big event coming up.Bring a smile to an artist's face ! :)

My favorite crepes recipe!

Hello and happy Monday to you! :)
The week has just started and I have my first exam tomorrow.What plans do you have for this week?

Sometimes,when I'm in the mood for something sweet and quick to make,I opt for crepes( a thinner kind of pancake).There are many recipes for crepes out there but this is the one that I like.You will need:

• 240 ml milk(240 ml lapte)
• 2 tablespoons of  granulated sugar(2 linguri zahar)
• 1 teaspoon of salt( 1 lingurita sare)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract(1 lingurita extract de vanilie)
• 3-4 teaspoons of yogurt(3-4 lingurite iaurt)
• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest(1 lingurita coaja de lamaie)
• 110 grams of all purpose flour(110 grame faina)
• 1 egg(1 ou)

Now that you have these,mix them all in a bowl until you get a mixture with the consistency of a more liquid cream.Heat some oil in a pan and pour a ladleful of the mixture in the pan.Then you know the drill :)
You will have about 6 crepes resulting from the mixture.
RO:Amestecati totul intr-un vas pana cand obtineti un amestec de consistenta unei smanatani mai lichide.Incalziti niste ulei inr-o tigaie si puneti cate un polonic din amestec.Ar trebui sa va iasa cam 6 clatite.

Fill it with whatever you want and dig in!:D

Favorite Friday: Nail Polish(1)

Hello ,lovely people of the world!:)
How's your weekend going?It's raining and cold here ..

I know I haven't done a Favorite Friday in a long time,but today I'm back with a "beauty" item : le nail polish.
I have experimented with make up,but it always felt weird to have a layer of something on my face,so I stopped using foundation or BB cream or whatever is similar to these.I tried mascara ,but seeing as my eyelashes are already naturally long, they ended up looking "spider legs" scary.

But of course,I have to have a weakness :) and that is nail polish. I can't go a day without having nail polish on my nails.My mood is always brightened up when I look down at my nails and see a pretty color.

These are 5 of my favorite nail polish shades,from the top left corner:
1.Orly Glowstick
2.MaXFactor Sunset Orange
3.Orly(I can't find the name of the dark red one,it rubbed off the package)
4.Golden Rose Paris #222
5.Kinetics Grey,no Pink( great name :p)

Which one of these is your favorite?:)

Liebster Award

Hey there :)
I was excited to be awarded a Liebster Award by the wonderful Danica!Thanks so much!
If you don't know how this works, I have to answer 11 questions that Danica asked,say 11 facts about myself ,make up 11 questions and give other 11 bloggers this award. Notice how I use the words "award"and "11" too much? :D

Anyway,moving on to the questions that Danica asked:
1. What is your favourite color?My favorite color is purple. I started liking it when I became a fan of a local football(soccer) team that had a purple-white equipment  but it still is my favorite now after I lost interest in the team.
2.Dogs or Cats?That's a hard one :) I think dogs are more energetic and cats lazier. But because I had a couple of nasty experiences with dogs,I pick cats.
3.Most Favourite Book?The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. I think it was the first book that made me want to see the  movie,too.And I rarely watch the movie and read the book.
4.What is the Place you want to visit?Since I love traveling,I'm not picky about my travel destinations.To name a few: Israel,Italy,the USA,Australia,Finland(I'm actually going there this summer)
5.Is your blog related with your life or work?Maybe,a little bit. I do artistic "activities' in my everyday life and that reflects in my drawings and posts.
6.What would you blog about your city?There would be some things I could blog about like cultural events,concerts,landmarks,the history of the city .
7.How do you plan your posts?I don't really plan anything.If I get an idea for a blog post while I'm on the computer,I just write it.If I get an idea throughout the day,I'll most likely forget it before I get home :) 
8.What would you DIY?Clothes. I think it would be fun to make my own clothes .
9.Do you have ambitions for your blog? If so, what are they?I just want to see it grow and I want to start writing more posts and also diversify the topics I discuss on my blog.
10.What advice do you have for someone who wants to start a blog?If that's what you want and if it makes you feel good,just do it.It doesn't matter that in the first few months you probably won't have a lot of people reading your blog.In time,if you write content that you're passionate about,people will start noticing.Think of it like this: Your blog is like a public  diary(minus the intimate details :P)
11.Do you write and photograph all your content?Not all of it,but I try to put photos that are my own.And yes,mostly,what I write is my own.
11 FACTS ABOUT MYSELF1.I like watching (and occasionally) playing football very much.I grew up more like a tomboy than a girly girl :)
2.I can't go a day without singing and I would like to join a choir someday.
3.I think that mint filled chocolate and tomato soup are the best things ever :)
4.I enjoy hiking and traveling. I would jump at the chance of going on a tour around the world(preferably in more than 80 days)
5.I insisted on getting my driving license as soon as possible but I'm scared of driving.
6.I rarely fall asleep when I'm in a vehicle even if I haven't  gotten any sleep in a long time and I'm extremely tired.
7.I dream almost every night and I remember dreams that I had 6-7 years ago.
8.My favorite literary genre is non-fictional(mostly psychology)
9.I have no siblings.
10.I want to break a world record somehow :P
11.I'm a religious person.

And now,11 questions that you,dear blogger that I nominate,will have to answer:
1.What is your favorite thing about the season in which you were born?2.Water or soda?3.What types of movies do you enjoy?4.What is a talent that only a few people know you have?5.What determined you to start blogging?6.How do you define love?7.Jeans or leggings?8.What is one thing you like about your hometown?9.Did you go/are you going to college?What did you study/are you studying?10.If life gave you lemons,what would you do? :P11.Do you still see yourself blogging in 5 years from now?

The bloggers that I nominate are:

• Lisa
• Richa
• Evi
• Fabrizia
• Vivi
• Olga
• Rita
• Vanessa
• Nicoleta
• Gabriele
• Liesl