Hello! So much happened lately. I even have no time to think about it (even not mentionig writting about it;). I promise to write soon much more about it. And also share more photos from our Slovenian trips (we made a few lately:). I have to admit I hide some photos from trips which took place "long, long time ago"v"and almost in another galaxy;). I hope to find them soon and show them here. It is so difficult with time now. Is running so fast. Days we are spending all three together, enjoying our time and observing Little Kalina growing. She is so cute and adorable! Evening are for two of us. And sometimes it is so hard to find time for writting. Uh, I wont write I wish day were 26 hour long- I will write I wish I am better organizator of my own time. I wish to paint more, sew more, draw more, writte more, workout more, run more and of course (and on the first place) have great time with my beloved.... I hope it is not impossible, but it is just a matter of organization:) How do you organize your time? Do you have some good ideas or methods how to pack all you wish to do in 24 h? Wish to read your ideas!
Lately I was asked to give an interview for a slovenian newspaper "Dnevnik" and in yesterday edition there was an artice about me based on the interview. Nice.
If you wish to read I am copying it here:) It is in slovene. If you wish in other language please use any of the translators (google?). I will be more fun ;) loves xxx
Mesto z naglasom
Prestolnica ob morju pod Triglavom
Vir / Avtor: Darja Valenčič
6. september 2014 (nazadnje spremenjeno: 14:46 6. september 2014)
Maria Magdalena Szmatula pripoveduje, da se je že prvič v Ljubljani počutila, kot da to mesto pozna od nekdaj. Takoj je napovedala, da se bo preselila sem, in pred petimi leti je to napoved uresničila.
Slikarka, ilustratorka, konservatorka-restavratorka in leteča mama Maria Magdalena, ki je k svojemu priimku že dodala še slovenskega Černe, se je slovenščino učila sama z branjem Malega princa. (Foto: Jaka Gasar)
Šest turističnih vodnikov po evropskih državah. Tri je izbrala Maria Magdalena Szmatula, tri njena prijateljica. »Kam greva tokrat?« sta se vprašali in začeli prebirati. Prva je bila na vrsti Maria, ki je kot prvega v roke vzela tistega po Sloveniji, in ko je končala branje besedila na zadnji strani, sta se strinjali, da bo to naslednja destinacija, in že naslednji teden sta sedli na vlak proti naši državici.
Pohajkovanje po Sloveniji sta Poljakinji začeli v Ljubljani, kjer pa je Maria Magdalena že po nekaj urah vedela, da bo živela tukaj. »Saj ne znam razložiti, veliko sem potovala po Evropi, vendar se nikjer nisem počutila tako kot tukaj. Seveda mi je bil Pariz všeč, London tudi, povsod bi živela, vendar le nekaj mesecev, v Ljubljani pa sem se počutila, kot bi prišla domov,« skuša v slovenščini strniti te občutke, ki so jo prevevali pred šestimi leti.
V Slovenijo, ne na Slovaško
»Zakaj nič ne fotografiraš?« ima Marysia, kot jo kličejo prijatelji, še v spominu, da jo je vprašala prijateljica, ona pa ji je suvereno odgovorila, da ve, da bo kmalu spet tu. »Ti nisi normalna!« je sledil nejeveren odziv in tudi pozneje, ko je doma povedala, da se bo preselila, je ni nihče jemal resno. »Super, saj to je blizu, samo čez mejo,« so ji odgovorili nekateri, ki so najprej pomislili na Slovaško, drugi pa te možnosti sploh niso dopuščali. Pri 25 letih je imela namreč odlično službo v narodnem muzeju. Bila je celo vodja oddelka za restavriranje papirja, iz česar je magistrirala na ugledni univerzi Nikolaja Kopernika v Torunju. »Če ne zdaj, potem ne bom nikoli,« si je rekla, sezula udobne copate, ki bi jih lahko nosila še 30 let, in obula prave slovenske copate.
»Saj tudi na Poljskem poznamo copate, ampak nosijo jih samo domači, ne dajemo jih gostom, in to na prvem obisku. Si predstavljate, koliko ljudi je že hodilo v njih?« se nasmeji tej slovenski posebnosti, ki pa je bolj kot ne edina navada, na katero se je morala privaditi. Mi, Slovani, smo si zelo podobni, pravi in prizna, da bi težko živela v bolj tujih kulturah. Razlika, ki jo vidi, je le ta, da so Poljaki bolj tradicionalni. »Na Poljskem je običajno, da se par, ki živi skupaj, ima otroka, poroči. In to že zgodaj, saj Poljaki prej začnemo odraslo življenje. Ni študentskega statusa in delodajalec nima nobenih ugodnosti, če vzame študenta,« pojasni. Doma je po koncu študija preprosto poslala življenjepis in dobila prvo službo.
V Sloveniji na drugi strani eno leto ni dobila potrebnih dokumentov za bivanje, kaj šele službo. »Na spletu je videti, kot da te komaj čakajo, a na koncu ni tako. Obe državi sta članici Evropske unije, pa so me obravnavali, kot bi prišla z drugega konca sveta,« opiše dobrodošlico, ki je pomenila začaran krog uradov in papirjev. Med drugim je slišala celo, da njenega položaja ne morejo urediti, da ne more ostati tukaj, a je bila dovolj vztrajna in se je sama naučila tako jezika kot svojih pravic.
Brez spodbud za naraščaj
Intimnost majhne prestolnice je mladi mamici, ki je odraščala med barvami in glino, saj so bili starši umetniki, zelo všeč. Največja prednost življenja v Ljubljani pa je zanjo njena lega: »V soboto zjutraj me mož vpraša, kam bi šla pa danes. Kamor koli hočemo, imamo uro in pol vožnje, na Poljskem pa imamo 600 kilometrov do hribov in 600 kilometrov do morja.«
Samo njena regija na Poljskem je velika kot Slovenija, zato dodaja, da z njenega vidika Ljubljana leži ob morju pod Triglavom. In tu je srečna. Ne bi šla nikamor drugam, a zdi se ji, kot da jo okolje sili prav v to. »Država je zelo neprijazna do mladih družin. Če ne bi bila poročena, bi recimo dobivala večji otroški dodatek. Ali ni to nesmiselno?« je razočarana in ne ve, koliko časa bo imela še energijo slovenske muzeje opozarjati nase. Z vztrajnostjo, potem ko je poslala prošnjo po trikrat, štirikrat, ji je sicer uspelo dobiti nekaj projektov, a ti se žal hitro končajo. Na srečo si vsaj prosti čas hitro zapolni z ustvarjanjem in tako je med drugim nastala serija ljubljanskih razglednic, na katerih deli svoj vtis mesta, v katero se je zaljubila.
I am very dissapointed because of this summer, which actually had passed away in the middle of July... All winter I was so longing for hot, sunny summertime (and easy livin' ;) and now..it already the end of it. Wet, rainy summertime... I didn't swim enough. I didn't catch sun and I didn't keep it on my skin in the forms of freckles. I didn't walk barefoot as much as I wanted to.
Sometimes when it happen that there is some sunshine passing through clouds I feel like in a spring time- like I am after very long winter. But no, winter is just coming.
I have no idea how to help myslef....
At least I can just keep my short but sweet memories and keep in my heart and on paper.
Now I am going to rise up level of endorfins in my body. And hard training is the best thing for that:)
Sweeping out all worries :)
People ask me how I am sewing my toys. Usually I talk about it and I am explaining all process. But I think it would be nice if you can see a little bit more. So I decided to show you the whole proces on some photos. And how my working pleace changes from "illutrator atelier" into "sewing atelier" ;)(atelier- what a big world for my table in our living room!! ;) Now I start to sew some new toys and I decided do take some pictures and to show you the process. Hope you will enjoy:) Then how it looks when I am working on new toys? 1st step is to prepare tekstile. I am using used baby clothes to be sure that materials are safe and will not colour in washing (and what more the idea of recycling is very close to me). So first I cut clothes to get proper pieces of tekstile and proper means as big as possible:)
2nd step is to cut shapes from pieces of materials. As I am using recycled materials I never have pieces of material in the same shape or the same size. That is why I draw EVERY shape by hand without using any patterns. It makes my toys so unusuall and exceptional. Every toy is very unique. When I have the shape drawn on the material I cut it. In this step I prepare bodies, ears, legs, tummies, tails and everything each of my cheracters needs for her or his living:) I am choosing colours carefully and it is fun to play with all those materials to find the best combination.
Step 3 is where it is time to use my sewing machine. (actually the machine is not really mine and all toys untill now I sewed thanks to my friend Hana and her machine - and here is place and time to say nicely: THANK YOU HANA!)First I am sewing all small element like paws, ears, legs, tail, etc. Of course everything is sewed on the lef side. When all small elements I ready and turned on the right side, then I am finding for them a proper place on the toys bodies. Then is time for sewing everything on the machine.
Step number 4 is very funny. After sewing everything together I turn toy's "bodies" on the right side. While sewing I always left a little hole so that I can easily turn the toy. And yes, sometimes it happenes that I forget to leave a hole... Sometimes it also happened that I sewed something wrong and then it appears that the bear or rabbit has heart sewed on his little bottom...;-) This time everything is ok - no hearts on bottoms;)
I already have a "skin" of the toy. Loose skin with legs, hands, ears, heart on belly (or on a bottom;) of anything I imagined for my little creature. Now is time to fill it. For filling I am using 100% clean poyester. It is safe, it does not cause alleriges and you can easily wash it in washing machine. I hear some people telling me: "use buckwheat it will be more healthy" or "use organic cotton it will be more natural". And I am not listening that voices! Let me explain you why: 1) buckwheat cannot be normaly washed (as you cannot wash any other wheat). And please show me at least one mum who wish for her child a toy which cannot be washed? or which can be washed only once? 2) Organic cotton cannot be washed in washich machine as it will stick together and it is not fluffy and soft anymore. To use organic cotton as a filling I have to made every toy open with a zipper with possibility to take cotton out before washing. And please show me at least one mum who wish to "play" with taking out cotton filling before washing toys and then putting it back? Or show me mum who wish to find her child eating cotton (even it is organic) becasue her sweet baby just realized how to open the zipper?
Ok. it is time for a next step of sewing my toys- the 6th one. I have already filled "skins" with polyester, and sewed up the holes (as I already wrote - never forget to leave hole for turning sewed toy on the right side and for filling it!)And now little creatures are almost done! Now is time to give them faces: eyes, noses, mouths and cheeks:)
And the next step - the last one is embroidering faces.
Every eye, every nose, every cheek is sewed with hands!
Every little creature has different face - nobody wolud have the same toy as you/your child/fiend/beloved have. And here they are- brand new and ready for hugging!
Once I went for a walk I took with myself not only my dear Husband and our baby girl, but also my sketchbook. I wish to do some drawings and catch ideas coming to my head. We had our coffee at TOZD. I have already wrote you about TOZD bar in Ljubljana. We like that place and we are coming back from time to time to drink good coffe in orange cups.
I made some sketches there. They needed time to grow and become an illustration but finally here it is!
After a few extremly beautifull, sunny, hot days here in Ljubljana we have a very, but really VERY rainy time now. Ok, let's be honest it is not really "time"... it's just one day (by now), but it was completely enough for me to feel autumn depperession. Honestly! I don't know what happened to me, but suddenly I feel like a baloon treated with a neddle.... all power went out of me.
Even another cup of coffee din't work. Instead of doing something positive all day I was walking around like a ghost washed out of energy and without any sign of optimisem...
I hope we will go to a seaside soon. I long for sea! Salty skin, salty hair, seaguls, white wine malvazija and this amazing smell in the air... I think we should move to the south;)
I's been a long time I haven't write you.... my fault...
My days are full - filled with love, happiness and also with some troubles (as it has to be harmony in the world:)
We happily come back from Poland. We had happy, happy. happy time with mum in my beautifull Wrocław. Unfortunately I didn't manage to realize my "Big Plan" of showing to my Husband some other "Very Important Places" like Torun or Warsaw... So exploring other cities we are leaving for next time. Now we are coming back to Slovenian reality....
Slovenia welcomed us with sunny, hot weather and finnaly I feel this beautiful summertime when you are melting somwhere in the shadow and waiting for evening. Ljubljana is amazing in summertime (when the livin' is easy, fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high...;)
And now - glued to my chair and melting from heat I want to share a good news with you:
If you wish to have my postcards please email me: mari.szmatula@gmail.com
Although we are not the Lonely Planet team we wish to introduce you some coffee shops and places we visited in Ljubljana. Some of them we like a lot, some of them we just like, some of them... (no comments...). To some of them we are regulary coming back. To some of them we were only once - the first and the last time.
So let's start with our view of Tozd bar.
La Linea behind the bar:)
The location of Tozd is almost perfect in old part of Ljubljana nearby the river at St.Jacobs bridge. It is quite quiet and peacfull although still in the close centre. For location we are giving 9 out of 10 points. Outside the bar there is street garden with big wild chesnut tree growing on the pavment. It gives a lot of shadow, so you can hide from burning summer sun.
While you drinking your coffee you can admire the beautiful river Ljubljanica or watch tourists and local people passing by. Interior is contemporary with some crazy but nice ideas. It is obvious that owner likes bikes as you will find few of them inside- even hanging from the ceiling. There are some other funny and trendy decorative elements. Inside you will find some leaflets informing abot current culural events, a few newspappers to browse (mostly fashion and design titles) and also lately very popular in coffee bars- little "library".
In Tozd you have a lot of alkoholic and non-alkoholic drinks. You can also have a little snack. As usually we focused on our favourite drink - coffee.
For coffee with milk we give 8 points out of 10. The milk cream is good as well as the taste. The service is nice and kind but in 70 % you get your drink spilled on the plate... as there is no napkins on the tables be carefull- your coffee is happily droping on your white, summer outfit... Coffee is served in optimisticly orange cups, water you will get in a glass buret which will remind you about chemistry night mares from high school time...
The water closet is very small but clean and if you have a luck it will be even a soap for washing your hands...
As a young parents we are putting attention if the place for our coffee time is "child-friendly". If you have a little baby in Tozd you will have a problem with changing diapers as there is no extra place for it. You can clean your baby on the bunch near the bar (of course if it's not taken and if you like to changing nappies while standing in a doorway to toilet). If you bring you baby in a stroller then you will have a few tables to sit with a proper "parking place". We find "our" table with a good parking unfortunately it is taken quite often.
Although Tozd is very nice place is not so occupied by tourists. In the evening is crowded and filled mostly with young, fancy dressed and good looking local people. We like that place, we like big chestnut tree, orange cups and a river so we are coming back there with freshly changed nappy.
Let's find a place to park our stroller.
A little library on the back
Nice Polish accent. Who will find a book by Polish Nobel Prize winner?
Inside is small but cosy and nice.
glass buret- a reminder of my high-school night mare called "chemistry lessons"
“When you find your path, you must not be afraid. You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes. Disappointment, defeat, and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way.” - Paulo Coelho
Last days are a little bit crazy. A lot of things happening.
On Saturday I was a part of the foreigners market organizated in Ljubaljana by Slovenska Filantropija (Slovenian Filatropy). It was very nice time spent in very nice company. For a few last days we have at home our lovely friends from Hungarian band Cirkuszka, who this days are having concerts here in Ljubljana. So every evening spent together is full of talks and laughing.
And I am preparing a new exhibition. Promise to write something more about it soon.
Loves,
p.s. Ljubljana is becoming warm and sunny- it is really a summer time!!!
We all know what the Scandinavian Style is. For somebody it is boring, for other it is the best what could be. What the Scandinavian style is or me? Simplicity, bright colours, simplicity, light, simplicity, lot of white, simplicity, elegant and casual in one...Did I write "simplicity"? ;)...- it is how I feel scandinavian style. But if it is possible with toys?
"she was waiting for her "brest-feeding" tea and thinking about taste and smell of a good coffee..."
Do you know that pain?
I cannot help myself and I already drink good, morning coffee.
My little one will have coffee latte :)
Lately I made a little cleaning among my pictures and sketches and I found this:
This are sketches to illustrations I made long, long time ago. It was supposed to be book about little piglets. More my sketches to this book you can find here: CLICK and here: CLICK.
My piglets weren't choosen to decorate the book, but I have to admit I have my own reasons to be happy from that fact;)
p.s even it was piglets sketching I made place also from some fish...I don't remember why ;)
Ostatnimi czasy chodze po swiecie jak lunatyk. Tak to jest, ze czasem spada na ludzi jakies cos, co wybija nas z rytmu codziennosci, wykoleja z torow, wytraca z rownowagi i wyciaga z ciepłych kapci. Ja ciepłe kapcie dopiero co zaczynałam zakładac (bo bedac zupełnie swieza mama zupełnie swiezej istotki, to ciezko chyba o ciepłych kapciach mowic). W kazdym razie codziennosc powoli zaczeła nabierac kształtow i rytmu wyznaczanego godzinami snu i powrotow J. z pracy. Az tu nagle: bum! Niektorzy nazywaja to "nieszczesciem", inni "wypadkami", a dla mnie jest to moze jakis znak, znaczek malutki i sygnalik. Ostatnich kilka dni jest bardzo intensywnych- z mała K. musimy radzic sobie same. Jakos nam to nawet idzie. Ogarnac mieszkanie, dzieciaczka, siebie, potem wyprawa w odwiedziny do J. i z powrotem do domku. Wieczorami padam na ryjek razem z K. i z kurami.
A dzis to juz w ogole wyjatkowo intensywnie. Co za dzien! Juz od rana pełen wrazen i emocji. Pierwszy raz zdarzyło sie wstac wczesniej niz K. i to bynajmniej nie dlatego, ze ona spała tak długo! Po prostu ja zerwałam sie tak wczesnie z emocji i wrazen przed czekajacym mnie dniem... Cały dzionek, jak przystało na 1 maj i swieto pracy, pracowałam. Jak? Otoz "bawiłam" sie w przewodnika turystycznego po Ljubljanie! Oprowadzałm dzis grupe niezwykle sympatycznych ludzisk z Polski po "moim" małym miasteczku. Cztery godziny łazlismy po miescie i podgladalimsy ljubljanskie zycie. Nawet poczułam sie troche jak turysta (juz kilka razy tej wiosny miałam takie turystyczne odczucia). Było bardzo miło i nawet udało sie nam schowac przed oberwaniem chmury i gradobiciem, i przeczekac czas niesprzyjajacy zwiedzaniu w kafejce SEM. Jak ktos potrzbuje przewodnika po Ljubljanie to sie polecam:)
Ale i tak najdzielniejsza była mała K., ktora cały czas siedziała w nosidełku i bardzo grzecznie asystowała. Jakie ja mam fajowe dziecko! niesamowita ta moja coreczka!
teraz juz słodko spi i ja czempredzej biegne dołczyc do niej, bo nogi odmawiaja mi wspołpracy...wiem, dziwnie to brzmi- przeciez nogami nie pisze... ale całe moje ciało domaga sie pozycji horyzontalnej juz i natychmiast...
Hey guys. I didn't forget about you. I am just enjoyng time with my husband who after a little accident at work (working in kirdengarden can be very dangerous for a teacher!) is staying home for last few days. We are enjoying this beautiful spring as much as his wounded hand allows.
In the meantime I am still sewing and I am really enjoying this! I hope you can see it in my toys.
Today a bear with a pinch of spring;)
Prezencik taki oto dostałam w ramach gratulacji z okazji narodzin coreczki.
Zaba na ksiezycu. Dla zartu nazwałam ja Panem Twardowskim. Najbardziej licza sie pamiec i gest (ach, coz to za frajda dostac taki telegram doreczony wprost do szpitalengo łozka!)
O gustach, jak wszyscy wiemy sie nie dyskutuje (o kolorach ponoc tez nie). Zatem i ja nie wdajac sie w zadne dyskusje podazyłam za głosem serca i podszepotom gustu mego i własnego. Pan Twardowski wrocił z ksiezyca na ziemie, a i sam ksiezyc zmienił swoje oblicze.
Jak Wam sie podoba?
oto Pan Twardowski na ksiezycu:
oto ksiezyc bez Pana Twardowskiego i juz po przerobkach:
p.s. do wyszywanek zainspirowała mnie niezastapiona Elzbieta Wsiuczynska- talent niesłychany.
My Husbad and I have a little weekend tradition. This tradition is a little weekend trip.
On Saturday's mornings we like to sit, snip our coffee and think what to do. Usually he is asking me: "so...where you wish to go my love?".
And my answer is usually: "to some beautiful place".
We have some our favourite places which are always good idea. The best example of such place is Piran. We also like to visit places we've already been to just for checking if they are the same beautiful in different season. And of course we love to explore some totally new places.
Then after morning coffee we check what is the weather forecast for the weekend in Slovenija and with that little help we usually choose sunny and warm locations.
This weekend was perfect. Saturday trip- where we were and how it was I will write and show you as soon as I will download photos.
And Sunday we went to the city centre. It also is our little weekend tradition reserved for those weekends which we are spending in Ljubljana - drinking our favourite coffee or drinking coffe in our favourite place (because it is a big difference between favourite coffee and favourite place, and beceause nothing is perfect they are not in the same place...at least not in Ljubljana).
This weekend was perfect- trip, coffe in our favourite place and a lot, a lot of sun! and what is the most important our private little Sun was enjoying that time with us:)
p.s. I know, my english is h o r r i b l e... forgive me and try understand no matter of my embarrassing mistakes...
p.s. I am thinking about making some postcards with a view of Ljubljana. What do you think about this idea?
Zniknełam, wsiaknełam na czas jakis. Oczywiscie mam bardzo wazkie ku temu powody i usprawiedliwienie podpisane, uwaga, przez...MAME we własnej jej osobie!
Mama (i swiezo upiczona babcia zarazem) przyjechała do nas i juz jakis czas temu i spedzamy wspolnie czas. Rozpieszczamy sie długimi, słonecznymi spacerami podczas ktorych "lasnujemy" nasze trzy pokolenia, drozdzowym ciastem z kruszonka (pyyychota i mniam, mniam!), kawa w kafejkach nad brzegiem Ljubljanicy i sadzeniem kwiatkow na balkonie (balkoniku raczej;)
W tak zwanym miedzyczasie odwiedziła mnie tez choroba wstretna i powaliła z nog goraczka wysoka 40 stopni.
-Takiej goraczki nie miałam od czasow swojej młodosci.- powiedziała postekujac starczo Marysia.
Nawet nasza mała K. nie oparła sie urokom kaszlu i kichania.
W oczekiwaniu na przyjadz Mamy i Babci, zagniezdziłysmy sie w łozku (mała K. choroba i ja) na kilka dni wyłaczajac komputer i sciszajac dzwonek w telefonie. Fajnie tak:) w sensie nie fajnie chorowac, tylko fajnie wyłaczac sprzety czaso-pozerajace. Ulga to taka niesłychana. Chyba czesciej bede sobie fundowała taki off-line, albo chociaz wprowadze limity czasowe lub zadaniowe.
Poki co po słonecznych, iscie majowych dniach zapowiadaja powrot do pogody normlanej - kwietniowej. Szkoda. Juz przyzwaczaiłam sie do wygrzewania sie na słoneczku i przygowałam sobie nawet zestaw chmurek ratunkowych (do uzycia w razie nadmiaru słonca, przy nagłej potrzebie cienia i w obliczu braku drzew lub kawiarnianych parasoli, pod ktore mozna sie ukryc).
do przeczytania wkrotce!
buzka!
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