YOU'RE A SMART COOKIE - Hilarious true story about my successor in Italy

Here comes a hilarious true story about my successor in Italy as I tried to COMPLIMENT her!

Marina Dalle Valle had just finished University and she started her 1st job.

So, I had to train her...

YOU'RE A SMART COOKIE! ←click link

Yep, when our boss Dr. Gigi Bagnasco came to check with me, about her ability, she was left out of the conversation as she did not speak English.

Knowing how she felt, I translated to her what I just told Dr. Bagnasco in English, that she picked up rather quickly and she is a smart cookie.

So I turned towards Marina and said in Italian: Marina è un biscotto furbo!

We almost wet our pants from laughing... This was one of those moments where translation is impossible.

Neither can you say in Dutch: Je bent een slim koekje...

But she understood that I only wanted to compliment her in a gracious way, and Dr. Bagnasco was quite pleased with that knowledge; meaning they hired the right person.

Cookie comes from the Dutch word 'koekje,' which means 'little cake.' The first cookie-like 'cakes' were thought to have originated in 7th century Persia, one of the earliest countries where sugar was cultivated.

Smart Cookie

The Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms says that a smart cookie is 'someone who is clever and good at dealing with difficult situations.' The term 'cookie' may have referred to women as far back as the 1700s, and 'smart cookie' may have been a comment on women's intelligence.

The Cookie Idioms: Smart Cookie, Tough Cookie ←click link

Here Marina is next to me on the right during one of our visits back to Italy, on September 30, 1995.

Happy to see that she did so well!

Wearing my own sewing creation, skirt made from some raw silk. Paired with a silk sweater and a wool Yves Saint Laurent scarf.

She continued the Statistical Process Control that I'd introduced, as a tool for being able to pin-point 'where' in the process of e.g. producing compost, we were 'off'.

Also we used that, for more accurately being able to predict the yield of an incoming 1st break of mushrooms.

If any of the above ingredients were 'off', that already predicted less good quality mushrooms with less piece-weight and thus lower market value.

BUT, Marina my successor was a smart cookie!

Hoping she is still doing well. 

Related link:

{Yes; I was at an Yves Saint Laurent Prêt-À-Porter Show in Jakarta!} | previous post by me

{Birds in our Garden and Update}

After a real busy day I have only a short post today. Wanted to show you two of my favorite birds that we have in our wood-garden. The Blue Bird and Cardinal. They look so exotic for us; coming from the Old World... Oh, and don't forget to visit Johanna from Silber-Rosen for her fabulous international giveaway. To the right on my blog at the top you can enter right away or by using this hyperlink. June 20 the winner will be selected!

Another fabulous giveaway from Rebecca at A Gathering Place till June 25th. Her button sits at the very top of my blog to the right; or use this hyperlink also.

The day before yesterday,  after I'd finished my post about: {YES; I was at an Yves Saint Laurent Prêt-À-Porter Show in Jakarta}, Indonesia I did figure out that I do have one more accessory from YSL. A beautiful wool scarf with fringed edging. You can see the two photos of it on my blog. Use the above hyperlink to get there. Sorry for being forgetful... but it is worthwhile seeing and I didn't want to withhold those photos.

Now back to the birds. These are photos from a PPS, I once received and I did make a Screenshot of the two I loved most. Impossible to provide you with a photo from our garden. Birds don't sit still. Blossoms already 'dance' in the wind and it's tricky enough to catch them, let alone a very shy Blue Bird learn more about them here at the North American Blue Bird Society by clicking on hyperlink.

Blue Birds are insect eaters and we do have them every year in our nesting boxes. But it is nearly impossible to see them; they're so tricky and adept at hiding their nests... Only if we sit in the gazebo for lunch or tea, we can see them forage on the lawn and fly to their nest. But knowing that they do co-exist on our property is good enough!

{Yes; I was at an Yves Saint Laurent Prêt-À-Porter Show in Jakarta!}

• After I'd been for the first time to the USA with Pieter in 1983, we also went to Jakarta, Indonesia where we stayed at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. 
• We were making a choice as to where we wanted to work and live... Our boss in Jakarta did the utmost in making it a pleasant stay for us, even though we were flying and driving to other cities to view all the work areas. So here we are, back in the capital city of Jakarta at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (see picture further down). When we checked in on this Thursday morning, also a group of catwalk models from Yves Saint Laurent arrived with us from the airport and checked in to their rooms. They came from Bangkok where they did a catwalk show... Now some rest for them, and again at 7:30 PM they would start a whirling Prêt-À-Porter catwalk show for Spring Summer 1983.

We went first to the Bogor botanical garden and came back to the hotel where we dressed for the evening. It was obvious, that our boss wanted to please me with this dinner and show, right up front near the catwalk! As I've studied fashion and design and obtained two diplomas for drawing and making dresses, costumes, jackets and coats, I certainly was more than thrilled to be seated right there.

• The three years that I studied fashion, this catwalk life looked very glamorous to us students... like a dream. But nothing is farther from the truth; it is hard work and that night after night on such a tour through Asia or to any other continent. We could see underneath the curtain, and there the shoes got kicked off and skirts, pants or dresses fell to the floor as they hastily changed into the next garment. And that for hours... My goodness, I felt for those girls. Here we were, sitting in posh chairs, only observing. Meanwhile feasting on a yummy four-course dinner.

• But it was one of those once-in-a-life-time events that will stay with me forever!
• Many thanks to our generous boss for whom we did work years later...
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• All of you probably know Yves Saint Laurent's perfume and cosmetics line. Several items I do use from this designer as you can see below:

• Some blush, lipstick, nail polish and Poudre Sur Mesure Semi-Loose Powder, which replaced their Silk Finish Powder (contained 2% of silk powder).

• It is not easy to photograph such glistening gold items; but they sure look elegant!
• Sadly Yves Saint Laurent died of brain cancer on June 1, 2008.
• Did I ever own a garment from YSL? No... only a wool paisley scarf and a pair of silk, low-heeled pumps that you can see in the photos below.

• Soft wool paisley pattern from YSL

• I'm holding my belly for laughter as my husband Pieter prepared the camera on its tripod for shutter delay. As is evident, it went off before he could merge next to me... Hilarious!

• So that's both of us now; it went perfectly well with the camera.
• My YSL silk pumps and Pieter in his silk shirt; kind of partner-look.

• And than there is coffee in the gazebo... Wearing my Pearls that got strung for me in Singapore.

'En dàn is er koffie!' or 'And then there is coffee!'

A well known Dutch slogan for their famous Douwe Egberts Coffee founded in 1753, which is now also available in the USA.