Feliz Ano Novo! Happy New Year!

Can you see the two million people on the beach and street? That's New Years in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, friends. In my opinion, it's the very best New Years in the entire world. Everyone wears white, lights candles on the beach, jumps over 7 waves on one foot while making a wish, throws flowers in the ocean for the goddess of the sea and then the fireworks are beyond spectacular.


The best part, though, is the absolute love that can't help but explode between strangers. You really do feel part of a huge human family and you kiss and hug as many of those strangers (and your own friends and loved ones too, of course ;) as you can. Then you dance on the street all night, watch the sunrise and walk back to your Vovó's apartment. You wish her good morning and a Happy New Year, wrap her in billions of love, and go to bed.


It is in this spirit that I Thank You for being a friend of Organic Pink Lady this past year. I appreciate your enthusiasm, support, friendship and encouragement more than you can imagine. Thank you. May all of our truest dreams be realized in this dawning decade.

Love,
Juliette

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Pencil Sculpture

Some of us passed notes and doodled on every scrap of paper while in school,
some of us carved pencils. Look at what Dalton Ghetti can do now!
Pretty impressive!

AND I was pleasantly surprised to read that he's originally from Brasil. He even has words of wisdom about how a change of attitude helped him successfully complete more pieces. I'll have to sit with his idea and apply it to some of my projects and "intentions".

The picture above is of one single pencil, peeps. Isn't it amazing.

Last year I wrote about Willard Wigan. His work is definitely worth another look this year. The original video posted is no longer available, but if you click on his name in that post, you'll be linked to a few videos on his site. I've watched them all at least a couple of times. Wow. It makes it ever more clear to me that no matter what we do, as children or adults, we ought to be encouraged and given lots of room and space in which to follow our passion. It's clear that the experiences and lessons gained are profound, worthy, and many.

I can't wait to see Dalton Ghetti's long 10 year piece complete.
I'm sure it'll be memorable.


PS. Thank you to my friend Karen Symons for first posting about this artist :)

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IslandLovely

©Fito Gordo

My friend Fito is an avid sailor and not long ago he was in Ilhabela for the Rolex Ilhabela Sailing Week. Ilhabela is in Brasil, in the state of São Paulo, where I, actually, we, grew up. Yup, Fito and I have known each other since 3rd grade, maybe it was 4th grade. Ilhabela literally translates as IslandLovely. The picture above was taken by Fito and is absolutely beautiful to me ... those dreamy blues, the mirage-like quality, the light reflecting off those billowing sails, the flatter ones intermingled. Oh how I love it. And then there's that PINK! sail, oh my. I could watch this picture all day long, so I couldn't help but ask Fito if I could share it with you here. I may ask him if I can show you one more from his IlhaBela album. Fingers crossed he'll say yes! It's gorgeous as well, but different. Stay tuned!

PS. Please feel free to leave Fito a comment under this post or join us on FACEBOOK:)

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Bubble, In Your Face

If I came face to face with this in a magazine, I'd be quite amused! It's an ad for Arcor Bubble gum. I like it! The other reason this caught my eye was that it was designed by Leo Burnett in Sao Paulo. Well, Sao Paulo happens to be the city in which I was born and grew up. I'll be posting some good photos of Sampa sometime soon, but for now, you can see a small photo on the side bar, on the right. Anyway, I figured Leo Burnett was a designer in SP, so I googled his name to find out more. Well, friends, Leo Burnett is a huge design company with branches all over our world. Maybe you already knew that. Not me though. So yes, the Arcor ad was more than likely designed by a, or a few, Brazilian designers in SP. Their main site is definitely worth checking out. The work really IS superbly creative. Plus, where else can you draw and surf elegantly at the same time? Make sure to find and click on the teeny red apples too!

BRIGADEIROS!

No birthday is complete without them! They're Brazilian sweets. Say BRI.GA.DEI.ROS, and curl your r's if you can. The bobbles sticking up out of them in the photo above are not traditional but the sprinkles (also called brigadeiros) are. As well as the tiny paper cups they're in. I say all that, but if you're like Adriana and me in 8th or 9th grade ... well ... you can just make them and eat them right out of the pan while sitting on the kitchen counter after school before going out to the club ;) Yes, the ones you see above, I made for my friend Erica's birthday not long ago. A few people asked me for the recipe, as well as 'what?! are they called again?' so here it is for you all with love:

BRIGADEIROS

Ingredients:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder or Hot Chocolate Powdered mix

Directions:
In a saucepan mix the chocolate powder in with the condensed milk, add the butter. Keep your flame low and be sure to stir constantly until you can see the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir for another few minutes until your wooden spoon parts the gooey river, so to speak, for a couple of seconds. Pour it all onto a plate and let cool completely. If you can, leave them on the counter overnight (covered with a teatowel) as the texture will be better when you form them into the little balls. When you do form the little balls, do butter your hands slightly or you'll be a sticky mess. Roll the balls in brigadeiros (chocolate sprinkles or I think I've heard them called jimmies as well). Place the 'docinhos' (little sweets) in their individual paper cups and Feliz Anniversario! Or Feliz Everything! (Psst! In 11 days it's MY birthday so maybe I'll make them again then :)