Belgium’s Jos Lansink has galloped off with top honors in one of the world’s richest show jumping Grand Prix, taking home €90,000 for winning the President of the UAE Cup in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

Riding his Gucci Masters winner Valentina van’t Heike, the World Champion rode a perfect jump-off round to prevail in the rich event, which carried a total prize pool of €300,000. It is among the richest Grand Prix events in the world, exceeded only by the Global Champions Tour shows and the CN Grand Prix in Canada.

To ensure the huge prize was well earned Olaf Petersen Sr. had built a course full of technical turns rather than tricky distances, making this a true test of rider skill.

At the end of the first round there were 11 qualified for the jump off and biggest casualty of the first round was Clarissa Crotta whose West Side van Meerputhoeve got into a bit of trouble coming out of a one-stride double at six which consisted of a wall to an oxer, and jumped his rider off. The Swiss team member appeared to land on her feet but was taken to hospital for an x-ray of her ankle. At time of writing there was no more news of the extent of her injury.

Lansink was fourth to go and took the lead with a speedy 36.43 over the shortened course. He judged his round perfectly as those who went faster, faulted. The last fence was the bogey, ruining the chances of Billy Twomey, Cameron Hanley, Rolf Goran Bengsston and Robert Smith, but Lars Neiburg and Ben Maher steered Lord Luis and Robin Hood W respectively round clean to take second and third. Abdel Said did the Gulf states proud by coming fourth on Avenir.

Michel Hecart struck a blow for France in the opening speed class when winning the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club Prize worth €10,000 to the winner. Another on his first visit to the Gulf, Hecart has been impressed by the show and its facilities. “But for me I like to come here because it is outdoors. My horse is much better out than in. Although it was a long journey and I think my horse was tired on the first day but Norton de Vains seems OK today. We would have liked to send a French team but this is the same week as Bordeaux and by the time we realized enough riders were prepared to come, it was too late to change plans.”

Juan Carlos Garcia continued his outstanding season and made up for a rare off day in the Nations Cup by taking second on Paulin. Great Britain’s Robert Smith, who has been placed in almost every class here, was third on Raging Bull Vangelis.

http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2010/02/051.shtml

here is where i decided to recreate the Darna nemesis creäture called valentina. I’m not fond of the name so I called it “Gorgon” very generic – i know.

I am also not fond of snakes for hair (not fun to model) so i opted for the gorgon – clash of  the titans look.

im making changes along the way,

incidentally,  I did not know that a Clash of the titans movie remake was coming out… hopefully it wont look like copied the medusa creature that will be shown there.

more updates  soon…

Last week, I wrote a post about Salma being in Los Angeles with her lil mini me and the rest of her Hubby’s family. I saw this photo of the entire family out for ice cream and I thought it was so adorable how Salma’s step children treat Valentina like their own sister. You can check it out after the jump.

In the meantime, you can also dress like Salma and still be a Recessionista (translation: Baller on a Budget).

Shop Now:
Green Top $11.50
Jeans $15.00
Black Boots $15.00
Green Handbag $24.99
Scarf $19.99
Hat $6.99
Sunglasses $5.80

Source: Fashion Under $100

It’s been awhile since, I’ve seen Salma out and about here in Los Angeles. Salma must have had a business meeting in town and brought along the family.  On 12/27/09, Francois-Henri took the entire familia on an outing, including Valentina’s step brother and sister; Francois  and Mathilde.

Valentina looks like a lil happy seed who actually enjoys life, unlike Suri Cruise. Check out Valentina smiling after the jump…

‘Tis the season for popcorn.  I guess you could string it on your tree, but I’m thinking of the buttery kind they sell at the multiplex.

While you’re there, listen for these names:

• We’ve been talking about Tiana, Disney’s newest member of the princess juggernaut, for months.  Word is that The Princess and the Frog lives up to the hype;
• SJP plays Meryl, wife of Paul, in Did You Hear About the Morgans?;
• On a screen nearby, you can catch Meryl Streep playing Jane in It’s Complicated.  John Krasinski plays her son, Harley.  There’s also an Agness (played by Lake Bell) and an Annalise (played by Blanchard Ryan) among the cast;
• Let’s assume that the name Neytiri from Avatar won’t catch on.  But there is a Trudy, played by Michelle Rodriguez;
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – Heath Ledger’s last film – features a Valentina;
• Invictus is poised to do well during award season.  The biopic could give a boost to Nelson, but what about François?

And check out Nameberry’s post on Best Movie Names of the Year, too.

Elsewhere online:

• Over at Legit Babe Names, Sebastiane covered Seija.  Apparently she’s the Finnish equivalent of Linda – both were big in the 1940s.  She also covered Teiksma, a Latvian name meaning fable or legend.  Of course, in the US these days, you’re more likely to meet a Fable;
• Over at Celebrity Baby Blog, Alyson Hannigan confirmed that Satyana comes from the Sanskrit for truth.  She mentioned that they call her Sati for short, which makes me think of Erik Satie;
• For Real Baby Names spotted a boy called Fate Whisper. If girls can be Destiny, Faith and Echo, I suppose a boy could be named Fate or Whisper.  But both?  Yikes;
• For Real also spotted a Paydyn, officially the strangest respelling of Payton/Peyton yet.  And a Danika Skyy.  Love Danika. Sky and Skye are one thing, but Skyy?  Is vodka;
• Bewildertrix spotted a Tiana.  Is it the Frog Effect already?  And Oliver Ziggy Bear.  Which is just fabulously strange;
• Namberry has ballerina names, just in time for the Nutcracker.  If you’re called Ghislaine or Violetta, surely you’ll grow up pencil slim and infinitely graceful;
• This post over at Swistle is fascinating. The mom-to-be has three stepdaughters – Airyn Dakotah, Brylee Brookelyn and Madesyn Tayler - plus three of her own - Frances Rosaline, Russell Stacey and Marjory “Midge” Kate.  Needless to say, the couple is stuck trying to compromise on a name that satisfies both of their styles;
• Which brings us to the controversy of the week.  If you haven’t read Jill’s guest post at Namberry on Yooneek Names, check it out – and make sure to click on the poll results.  With nearly 600 votes, an overwhelming 92% of Namberryites hate, hate, hate ‘em.  Jill did a great job with a difficult topic.

Lastly, a few starbabies arrived this past week.  Besides Benjamin Brady and Mason Dash Disick, there’s also:

• New Kids on the Block’s Joey McIntyre welcomed a son, Rhys Edward, a little brother for Griffin Thomas.  He and wife Barrett have a nice naming style;
• Soap stars Arianne Zucker & Kyle Lowder welcomed daughter Isabella.

Since I’m stuck indoors – when the news showcases the record-setting snow in the nation’s capital, that would be what has us housebound – I’ve started looking at the year-end stats early.  It’s an interesting list.  With a little bit of luck – or another foot or so of snow – I’ll post it just after Christmas.

That’s all for this week – as always, thanks for reading!

Oh, I really want to see this!!

She’s lovely and quirky, familiar but rarely heard – a winning combination circa 2009.

Thanks to Bizzy for suggesting Philomena as Name of the Day.

You’ll spot phil in plenty of familiar words, and more than one name.  Philip and Philippa are fond of horses; Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love – and very occasionally, a given name.  The Greek phelein meant to love.  Philomena may only trace her roots to that word, or might also related to menos – strength.

She sounds ancient, but Philomena is young – and may never have been a given name at all.

Early Christians buried the earthly remains of martyrs and commoners alike in the catacombs – subterranean cemeteries.  Today they’re undeniably spooky.  Back then, they were practical.

The Catacombs of Priscilla – named after the woman who donated the land – would eventually hold nearly 40,000 bodies over eight miles.  Their use declined as Christian persecutions ended.  Eventually, they were all but forgotten.  In the late 1500s, Antonio Bosio entered many of the tombs for the first time in centuries.

Our story begins in 1802, when a group seeking martyrs’ graves found the body of a young woman.  They thought a vial enclosed in the tomb was blood and must surely denote a martyr.  The grave’s inscription read:

LUMENA PAXTE CUMFI

It almost certainly was out of order.  Rearranged, it reads:

PAX TECUM FILUMENA

The inscription translates to Peace be with you filumena. Filumena could be a given name – or a term of endearment.

The excavators trumpeted their success – the discovery of Saint Philomena’s remains, overlooking the lack of historical evidence for a Saint Filumena.  Or Filomena. Or Philomena.

Pesky details aside, nineteenth century Italy embraced her.  A nun claimed visions of her life.  The future Saint John Vianney was among several of her devotees, spreading Philomena’s reputation to France.  Miracles were attributed to her relics, housed near Naples.

History eventually won out, and you won’t find her on the official calendar today.  Perhaps her greatest legacy is her name.

Philomena is in use from Ireland to Italy and throughout the Spanish-speaking world.  The wife of the current Orléanist pretender to the throne of France, the Duc de Vendôme, is married to the aristocratic Vienna-born Philomena de Tornos y Steinhart.  (The couple welcomed their firstborn, Gaston, just a few days ago.) In the unlikely event that their claims are ever realized, Philomena could take on a regal air.

In France, Philomène had her best year in 1901.  Philomena peaked in the US back in 1915 and left the rankings after 1942.

If you’re looking for a true rarity, there’s the literary Philomela or Philomel – a poetic term for the nightingale, and a mythological princess of Athens who suffered mightily.  Writers from Ovid to Chretien de Troyes to Chaucer to Coleridge to Margaret Atwood have referenced her sad and gory tale.

Today, Philomena or even Philomela could appeal to parents who find the relatively uncommon Francesca and Valentina too familiar for their tastes.  With nicknames ranging from Mena to Polly to Pippa, she’s an unconventional choice that might wear well.

Artemisia, Antonia, Aurelia, Arabella, Clara, Clementine, Cleopatra, Crescentia, Dulcinea, Ernestine, Ebelina, Eloisa, Fenella, Fernanda, Genevieve, Gwendoline, Hazel, Hortencia, Imogen, Idahlia, Ishbel, Lucinda, Louella, Leagora, Linnea, Margaret, Maddalena, Maple, Madelie, Nataline, Ophelie, Octavia, Orlantha/Orlanda, Polly, Romilly, Rosalie, Tallulah, Valentina, Violet.

Abraham, Cato, Ezekiel, Emmett, Evander, Edward, Hugo, Ira, Jay, Lazarus, Lysander, Leander, Ned, Orlando, Perrin, Rupert, Russell, Sullivan, Thomas, Theodore, Willoughby.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Minha esposa tirou essa fotografia numa noite, depois de eu chegar do trabalho bastante cansado. Mas sempre me sinto melhor depois de segurar a minha filha um pouquinho. Nesse ultimo mês a Valentina aumentou muito de tamanho, e está cada vez mais bonita. E eu, cada vez mais bobo por causa dela.

Ciao a tutti, in questo blog troverete le ultime novità ed eventi riguardanti il mondo della piccola kreativa, dove voi sarete i protagonisti con i vostri commenti, suggerimenti e immagini!

Valentina Gaia

Indigo, Tennyson, Barnaby, Ashby, Rowan, Arlo, Benson, Beckett, Dashiell, Dante, Emmett, Emilio, Gabriel, Gulliver, Hugo, Harvey, Leo, Oakley, Orlando, Pablo, Preston, Perrin, Quinlan, Raphael, Romeo, Remy, Rupert, River, Rafferty, Rutherford, Samson, Sommer, Steven, Troy, Tristan.

Bellona, Bedelia, Decla, Eloisa, Evangelina, Freya, Ferelith, Genevieve, Greta, Ginella, Hazel, Hyacinth, Honora, Isabella, Isadora, Junia, Luciana, Lucelia, Leora, Maddalena, Noella, Ophelia, Ottilie, Polly, Pearl, Primrose, Rosabel, Romilly, Raphaella, Rosamund, Seraphina, Sofiel, Simone, Tallulah, Valentina, Viola.

August, Edward, Dominic, Henry, Julian, George, Broderick, Dashiell, Quinn, Rowan, Atticus, Barnaby, Benedict, Cato, Darwin, Emerson, Fergus, Harvey, Lucian, Lewis, Malachy, Micah, Maxwell, Oakley, Orlando, Phineas, Rupert, Rex, Sullivan, Solomon, Steven, Willoughby, Winston & West.

Carmen, Daisy, Aurelia, Daphne, Delphi, Eurielle, Flora, Geneva, Hazel, Hermione, Ivy, Linnea, Maddalen, Mirabelle, Nola, Olympia, Olive, Polly, Romilly, Ramona, Rosemary, Sally, Simona, Ursula, Valentina, Violet, Clara, Eulalie, Seraphia, Seraphina, Silvana, Adele, Amabel & Leora.

[click pe imagini sa le vedeti in format mare]

plimbare pe străduţele înguste din centrul istoric:

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câteva instantanee care-mi plac: Giulia

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expoziţie de fotografie în Loggia dell’Abate – Bruce Chatwin (link)

Valentina cu fotografiile din expoziţie drept fundal:

foto şi context – compoziţie de efecte:

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expoziţie din Palazzo Ducale: Bauhaus – Otto Hofmann (link expoziţie):

Non ci siamo viste per tutto il giorno, la mattina lei a scuola, il pomeriggio io a scuola, quando torno lei non c’è, è uscita e così quando rientra mi viene naturale chiederle:

mamma: Ciao tesoro, come stai?  Come hai passato la giornata?

figlia: Bene, siamo stati a Ponte Milvio, stiamo ancora insieme ma presto ci lasceremo, ma scialla mamma!!!

Esempio di tipica comunicazione breve ed essenziale.

Questione di punti di vista.