Ideas

It was three in the afternoon when I ordered a cappuccino during a recent trip to Italy. Loudly. Scandalous! The people nearby almost got whiplash as they turned to see what such an uninformed, uncultured straniera (foreigner) looked like. Coffee wit

When antiques collector, décor-shop owner, interior decorator and lover of all things vintage Lynda Gardener first walked through the doors of an old mattress factory in North Fitzroy, a ‘gritty’ inner suburb of Melbourne, Australia, it was not a pre

Researchers call ‘blue zones’ the eighth wonder of the world. There are five of them – these amazing regions on earth where, according to statistics, people live the longest: the island of Sardinia in Italy, the Okinawa islands of Japan, the Nicoya p

❁ Focus of using lots of fruit, vegetables and herbs that are in season.❁ Make the vegetables the main part of the meal and eat lean chicken and seafood (especially oily fish) rather than red meat.❁ Use olive or avocado oil instead of butter.❁ Includ

The Mediterranean diet is rich in grains and pulses which are good sources of healthy protein. Try adding chickpeas to your salads or vegetable dishes along with the pickled brinjals, which add a great tangy pop of flavour. Serves: 4 Preparation time

Take advantage of fresh ingredients when they are in season. You can make preserves and then use them at a later date throughout the year. This lemon preserve is very simple to make and is a favourite ingredient in many Mediterranean dishes. It will

Creating something with your own hands is an incomparable feeling. Kneading the soft clay, turning it into a flat surface and arranging fresh plants and flowers on it is both a sensual and mindful experience. To see and feel the traces of the leaf ve

♥ wood offcuts♥ white water-based paint♥ paintbrush♥ saw and circular saw♥ hammer and nails♥ measuring tape 1 Decide how big you want the birdhouse to be and cut out a front and back panel of the same size and shape from your wood offcuts. Cut a gabl

These are a delicious lunchbox treat instead of a sugary biscuit. For a gluten-free version, replace the cake flour with a gluten-free flour mix and be sure to use gluten-free oats. Makes: about 24 squares Preparation time: 15 minutes Baking time: 18

With a creative head and skilled hands you can transform your hobby into a business. And you don’t have to run it from a brick-and-mortar shop. Sell your products at a market. There’s no better way to get to know your customers than chatting to them

DIFFICULTY: intermediate TIME: three weeks ♥ 4mm crochet hook (body and border)♥ 5mm crochet hook (join)♥ stitch markers♥ tapestry needle♥ small scissors♥ Vinnis Colours (Nikkim)‒ Avocado 530 x 1‒ Sunshine 535 x 1‒ Pink 521 x 4‒ Ballet Pink 522 x 4‒

♥ 50g main colour 4ply or Catania cotton yarn♥ 20g Kidsilk (optional, use a strand to give a fluffy effect)♥ 2g cream 4ply or Catania cotton yarn♥ 2,5mm crochet hook♥ stitch marker (mark the first st of every rnd)♥ polyester toy stuffing♥ darning nee

On a Pinterest embroidery group, an anonymous wise person explained why slow stitching calms me. ‘It’s the rhythm of the needle drawing the thread through the fibres of the fabric that brings one to calmness. It’s like music for the soul.’ If I had t

Whether in a rented home or not, when the baby room had to be done, there was no doubt – the walls needed to be repainted. With a décor theme of llamas, cacti and rainbows, Anelle and husband Riaan set out to paint the former study, with Riaan’s bicy

TERENA: This year, I made a long-held dream come true for myself by buying a house in a small hillside village in Italy. I wanted to remember my first visit to my house with the gorgeous church, the view over the valley from my bed and the large pain

Make a set of these easy notebooks so you always have somewhere to jot down your thoughts. We made 12, one for each month of the year, and numbered them, to make it easier to identify them and for when we want to look at them again later, to reflect

I simply can’t resist a lovely notebook. So there have been a few times that I’ve stood with my heavy-as-lead suitcases hoping and praying they would allow my luggage onto the overseas flight without it costing me a small fortune for excess weight. H

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