A welcomed package!

First of all, I wanted to give a big huge thanks to all the wonderful blogging friends who graced me with their visit and left me such sweet comments, I am in absolute awe and deeply touched and honored!! There is nothing better than connecting with people who love the same things you do, and for that I am so grateful! Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart!! It has been great fun, and I really hope we can continue getting to know each other better!!























When we were in Portugal, this summer, visiting with my family, we took off for a few days to visit London. While there, I couldn't help but stop by Liberty's of London, as I absolutely looooove their fabric!! It is quite expensive, so I opted for 1/2 and 1/3 meter cuts of a variety of fabrics. Well, when it was time to come home, I forgot to pack them (along with a few other things)!! My mom was going to ship them to me, but since my sister came to the US on vacation for Christmas (sadly she didn't make it here...), she mailed me the box. I just got it yesterday, and I am so excited!




















Aren't these yummy colors?! I also bought a few trims...




















Since I was getting a box from Portugal, I asked my mom for a few extra things!! One of them was something I have been wanting for a while and have been looking here in the US with no luck! I completely forgot to get them when I was there, so my mom came to my rescue: they are rotating teacup holders, that you screw to the bottom of your shelves... Have you ever seen them here in the US? I just love the amount of space it saves, and I love that you don't have hooks showing over the shelf!

I also wanted to show you a great book I just got! I bought it here. It is called "Creating the French Look", and it is full of projects with very clear instructions (my kind of book!!). I can't wait to try some!



































I leave you with a yummy portuguese recipe for a flourless almond cake I just made. All it takes is almonds, eggs and sugar! I use a shortcut, instead of grinding almonds I buy almond meal, ready to use...


ALMOND CAKE

1/2 lb of finely ground almonds (200 grs)
6 eggs (room temperature)
6 Tablespoons sugar

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until creamy white, then add the ground almonds. Beat the egg whites until they peak, then carefully fold them into the batter (I add a little bit of whites, first, because the batter is quite thick, then add the rest). Bake at 350 for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (do not overbake, otherwise it will become dry...). Sprinkle powdered sugar when cool (or pour melted chocolate on top!). Enjoy!




















Have a wonderful New Year! I will be back tomorrow to greet you with my first ever giveaway!! Please come back!!