MAYA GUIDI Galerie & Atelier

I was strolling in the bobo neighbourhood of Old Carouge when I came across this tiny gallery with colourful and impressive sculptures by Maya Guidi. I had a crush on her female angels, naive and colourful, and decided to look her up.

Maya Guidi’s sculptures are made of papier mâché - very lightweight - and ceramics. I was awestruck by her breath-taking sculptures and paintings. I was so fond of her work that I wanted to share some photographs with you.

Her bio:  Maya Guidi is a Swiss-German graphic designer, very much "old school", working without technology. As graphics started to evolve with the advent of computers, she turned her back on it and decided to explore her creativity by working with her hands. That started 30 years ago.

She moved into a studio in the Paquis area of Geneva, where she began to create decorative objects in different materials: papier mâché, wire, wood, porcelain and metal. Over time, she started to create larger, more colourful objects, whose main materials are papier mâché and ceramics, which she colours with acrylic paint.

Her colourful works and her naive style are tremendously pleasing ... Maya said that, over recent years, people have turned to "colourful and cheerful objects". This suits her just fine because this is her style, which she terms "naive illustration". She feels glad to beautify their lives/homes through her sculptures and paintings.

Maya has exhibited in several galleries in Switzerland and at the United Nations. I loved her discreet, sensitive, humble and generous personality...it mirrors her creations

I thank you, Maya, for letting me steal some of your valuable time...

MAYA GUIDI Galerie & Atelier. Located in the heart of Vieux Carouge, her gallery was created in 1998. It also hosts various artists, mainly dedicated to contemporary figurative art. Attentive to young artists, she does not hesitate to exhibit, promote and enhance their work.

December timetable

Wednesday to Friday: 14:00 - 18:00

Saturday 10:00 - 13:00

Sunday 11:00 - 17:00

Maya Guidi Galerie & Atelier

Rue Saint-Joseph 40

1227 Carouge , Genève

Tram 12, 13,18 - Place du Marché stop

Take Away - Wasabi Sushi Bar

Have you ever felt lazy??? Last Thursday I did: lazy to the point that I didn't feel like cooking. “Sacrilege!” I hear you say...Yep, it happened to me too!!!

On a day like that there is a nice option...TAKE AWAY!!!...This is a good solution for those days when we feel lazy or do not have a lot of time or have no leftovers for dinner. I can recommend this chain of Japanese restaurants to you.

The food is fresh, healthy, well prepared, delicious and affordable - that counts too, right? I also like the efficient service.

We chose various assortments:  seaweed salad, edamene (salted peas), sushi, maki, sashimi, temaki, tempura….with the usual extras: ginger, wasabi, soy sauce. Yummy! We loved everything.

I made a quick and easy dessert...A simple bowl of fresh fruit salad: persimmons, white grapes and redcurrants.

Everything was served on Wedgwood plates and I used my beautiful cast iron teapot and matching cups, all to give a touch of class! :)

We enjoyed a relaxed and cosy evening.

Like all of my posts, this one is not sponsored.

The Wasabi Sushi Bar (chain of 11 restaurants). Delivery from Monday to Saturday 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm for a minimum order amount of CHF 25.00. You may order directly on the web site www.wasabi-sushibar.com or by phone +41 22 735 32 32

Sweet Waffles

You can never go wrong with this traditional waffle recipe. I got it from my French teacher here in Switzerland, which means an eternity ago...

This waffle is airy, light with a subtle vanilla flavour, slightly crusty and easy to prepare. I use the recipe regularly. In fact, I never eat waffles away from home as they are often too fat and heavy. A couple of days ago I had a craving to eat some...

You will need a waffle iron: mine is an old Tefal machine. If you don't have one, the Tristar WF-2119 - Heart Shape Waffle Iron is cheap (CHF 29.95), good and looks like mine.

Ready to cook my darlings?

Ingredients

3 eggs

70g sugar

Seeds from a vanilla pod

125g butter

250g flour

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

250ml warm milk

1 lemon zest

Preparation

1. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla seeds, add lemon zest.

2. Melt the butter and add it to the mixture by stirring it in gradually.

3. Sift the flour mixed with the baking powder into the mixture and then slowly stir in the milk.

4. Beat the egg whites and gently fold them into the mixture at the end.

5. Let the dough rest for an hour.

6. With a ladle, pour the dough in the pre-oiled hot moulds of the waffle iron.

Cook 3-4 minutes.

7. Serve warm and garnish, as you wish...Sprinkle with icing sugar, add jam or maple syrup…or add redcurrant jelly, whipped sour cream and a sprig of fresh redcurrants, just the way I like it.

Serves 5

Tips To get vanilla seeds, split the vanilla pod lengthwise into two halves with a sharp knife. Place the two halves on your cutting board and firmly run the tip of the knife down the length of the vanilla pod.

Chanel no. 5

To be honest the perfume is not my thing. Most of the time I don't wear it. “Sacrilege!” I hear you say. That said, I did have one for big occasions - no kidding - called Diva by Ungaro.  I finished it a month ago. I paid CHF 25.00 for 100ml at Coop City Shop and it lasted more than a year.

However, last April, I let myself be seduced by the famous Mademoiselle perfume, Chanel no.5. No, it is not a myth: this perfume smells really good. To borrow a French expression “ça a du chien!!! (it has sex appeal).

Here the story of the iconic Chanel no.5

In 1921, Coco launched her perfume brand. She entrusted the creation of her first perfume "Chanel No. 5" to Ernest Beaux, designer of perfume at the court of the Russian Tsars. He presented Coco Chanel with two sets of samples numbered from 1 to 5 and 20 to 24. She chose sample No. 5. To the question “What name will you give it?” she replied: "I launch my collection on May 5^th, the fifth month of the year, let it keep the number it wears. This number 5 will bring it luck.”

In an interview, a reporter asked Marilyn Monroe what she wore to bed, the actress replied simply: "a few drops of No. 5."

This post, like all my blog posts, is not sponsored.

ELONA moisturising snail slime cream

I never cared much for beauty creams. I am faithful to Clarins since I was 18 (well, sometimes I stray with Naturalplan cream), but with age and lots of swimming, I started to become more interested in beauty products (their benefits, composition etc.)

Fortunately, I inherited my mum's the taste for healthy food: lots of vegetables and fruit and drinking plenty of mineral water. I drink water throughout the day and supplement it with tea. On days of when I go swimming and have a sauna and a Turkish bath, I drink even more to hydrate.

But for now, let me tell you what matters: the blessed snail slime cream. I discovered this cream a year ago, my beautician gave me a pot to try and I loved it instantly. It smelled lovely (a scent of tamarind). I loved the texture: creamy, voluptuous but not oily. I also noticed that it made my skin softer and more radiant. As a result, a week after the sample ended, I bought a pot as a gift to myself. This is a moisturising snail slime cream to PROTECT the skin.

And because I find it TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, I share the tip with you.

Product Description

Elona moisturizing snail slime cream, made in Switzerland

For all skin types

Suitable for young and mature skin

Day & Night

Contains 70% concentrated and filtered extract of a pure natural active ingredient from snails.

This treatment, enriched with extract of tamarind with antioxidant properties, helps to moisturise the skin and enhance the complexion and maintain elasticity.

Without parabens or phenoxyethanol

See more at the Elona website: www.elona.ch

This post, like all my blog posts, is not sponsored.

Flowers

Over the next few weeks some of my friends will be travelling to their home towns.

O. she is on her way to the North of Europe where the temperature reaches -10° C.

M. soon flies to the Pacific, to the Land of the Rising Sun.

The other M is also leaving soon. She is going all the way to South America, to a land where the sun shines every day.

Me, I’m the last one to fly.... I am counting down the days, hours and minutes!

Meanwhile, I bought these flowers from my favourite florist - I love her shop. She has such beautiful flowers that smell so good and everything is so beautifully arranged in this minimalist shop. The team of young florists are smiling and friendly.  They lavish you with good advice.

The shop is located in my preferred neighbourhood - a bobo area - a village just 20 minutes’ walk from central Geneva.

So, my darlings, let's start this week in beauty, hoping that the sun will be shining like it did last week.

My bouquet of flowers is composed of

Esperance roses

Chrysanthemum

Cabbage flower

Fleuriste de Carouge

Avenue de la Praille 19

1227 Carouge

www.fleuristedecarouge.ch

This post, like all my blog posts, is not sponsored.