Why Not 1.

Why not be just happy about the most simple things in life? Just like...

- Compliments about the new ring I bought yesterday
- 5 pieces of pogácsa free of charge from the baker in the morning
- Sizzling indian summer in Budapest
- The hottest (or so they say) chili paprika bush which will provide components for the gulyás we plan to cook in the garden on Saturday
- The book written in the unique style of Amos Oz
- The textile seahorse that turned into a cute brooch today
- Killer Callanetics lessons together with one of my best friends
- My friendly cactuses on the balcony that I got from the Mom of another one of my best friends
- And: why not?

Helen

You might remember the "Beautiful technology" earrings I made using blue howlit. They got soon reserved with the additional request for a matching necklace.

It took me a while but now the necklace is ready.

As you see I have no model so it was myself posing with this new piece. (Volunteers welcome for modeling! And I'm being serious now.) The length of the necklace is of course adjustable.

Today after work I somehow (...) walked into one of my favourite bead shops and they were having sales at extremely low prices on ready jewelry made using minerals. I am saving money for a holiday but I just could not resist, especially because normally they do not sell ready-made jewelry so now was the time to grab a bargain on hand-made pieces.

So it is not only Helen getting some new jewelry now, but also your La Kukac, what a wonderful day!

SOLD

Dedication

Yeah yeah yeah I know I am neglecting my blog and all that but believe me, I just wasn't in the mood of doing anything creative. Or better said, I have been creative in many other ways.

But now I have decided to dig a bit deeper into all this jewelry making and get more out of it. Now the decision has been made, I just need some time to realise it - I don't know about you, but this is always where the bottleneck is for me. So I will spend some time brainstorming and then discover all the possibilities that come to my mind and are affordable. Time to be as dedicated as possible!

Green wedding earrings

I didn't really believe I could make earrings for a wedding - natural pieces of jewelry tend to be more ethnic than that but my friend again helped me to discover more of the possibilities and what I can do. She has been talking to me about her need for a nice pair of earrings for a wedding but I tried to avoid this task for lack of confidence in being able to make something that can work with a cocktail dress.

Well, in the end she succeeded and here is the result with the matching hairband. Actually I am happy she convinced me! We agreed on using my (and as it turned out, hers too) favourite mineral: tiger's eye combined with glass beads and a piece of shell.

The happy face in the end was well worth it!

SOLD

3 Blogs to Read in August

1. Crafts: Textile Works by Viki (Hungarian)

We all need some support at the first steps (me too!) when a little attention can boost our motivation and confidence. Before we make this first step we are really not sure if we can do it or we are just dreamers but once you start your dream you must never stop believing.
This is what Viki is doing right now. She is working with textile, creating all these little lovely stuff that you can also buy in her webshop. Follow her blog and you will see the way she develops and gets better at what she is doing, each day.

2. Ideas: El Mundo de Reciclaje (Spanish)

Are you already recycling or do you just think you are? Take a look at this blog (even if you don't speak Spanish) to see how far recycling can go. Think twice!

3. The district we live in: Napi Illés Utca (Hungarian)

For me, I love the colorful and never boring district of Budapest called "Nyócker" by the locals. It is not a posh district, I know, but the funniest for sure. I chose it because it is close to the company I work at and because it is at the same time almost in the city center. But there are also less funny things happening here which require us to look at them through a different glass in order not to get too disturbed.
The author of this almost newborn blog is my friend who as a social worker by original profession is just perfect at looking through this glass. She goes to work to the very deepest streets of this district and shares her stories with us. Funny... or not?

3 + 1 Films about Downward Spiralling

I don't know why but the most amazing movies of the world are centered around this theme. It is definitely not the nicest topic but believe me, the following four pieces are worth seeing and will be memories for a lifetime.

1. Daisy Diamond (2007)

A Danish film about a 22-year-old single Mum trying beyond her power to survive alone with her baby. Trying hard to find work, trying hard to feed her child and to somehow stay afloat - until she loses all she is and commits something you would not understand would it not be for the movie which clearly and mercilessly shows how cruel life can be for someone with no other support but herself out in the cold world.


2. La Haine (1995)

Out of all these films this is the one most of my dear readers will know. The social and political questions the film raised almost a decade ago are still valid and alive, without any solution in sight.
There is no good or bad in this film. There is nobody to blame and yet everybody is. This is the downward spiralling of a whole society. "Hatred breeds hatred."

Jusqu'ici tout va bien... So far so good... so far so good...


3. Gegen die Wand (2004)

It is just not true any more that Germany produces no good films. This piece is among my all-time Top 5 films, true as it is, the director is originally Turkish.
A couple who are just as human as we all are, they make mistakes, commit crimes, fall victim of their uncontrolled emotions - and after all, we cannot blame them.

Beautiful love story that speaks of much more than love.

Prepare for a lot of passion.


+ 1 THE BEST FILM OF ALL TIMES: Lilja 4-ever (2002)

This is the film that EVERYBODY MUST SEE. No other film ever has haunted me for months like Lilja 4-ever did.
From the first moment on, when you see Lilja on the street while Rammstein is playing "Mein Herz brennt" in the background I have shivers all during the story. There is no better film in the world showing what really downward spiralling means, what it really means that when you think there is no way things can get worse, they do.

There are no words that can duly describe this piece of art. You have seen no Film in the capital letter-sense of the word until you have seen this.

Be grateful for the life you have.

Landscapes

We have come to the age when births and deaths happen at the same time. When some of our friends get married and you go to their wedding and when at the same time some of the people around you leave forever.

We have come to the age when love, life, beauty, loss, and death are there with us at every moment, they hold our hands and take us to new lands to discover, new sights to see and new messages to understand.

What kind of lives are we leading? Did we find what is important? Do we really see what matters or do we only see what is right there in front of us?

Keep the faith. We will all leave some day. A new journey comes where there will be no other holding our hands than death.

This pair of earrings is dedicated to a person who has just left this beautiful land and walked away. Peace be with you on your way.