I hate goodbyes

I hate saying good bye. Those two little words just make my bottom lip quiver at the mere thought of having to utter them. 

It is kind of strange that these two words have been thrust together, because usually, good byes are not; I meant they aren't good they are just bye. They usually mean loosing or missing someone - two feelings which I despise.

When we left London I had plenty of emotionally byes; one after the other as I said bye to family and then friends and work colleagues. I guess the thought of saying it and not knowing when you will see people again makes it a lot harder than when I say it in the morning to the boyfriend who I know I will see in approximately 8 hours. 

Tomorrow I have to say bye to the boyfriends mother and while most people couldn't wait to kick the [potential] mother-in-law out, for the past few days she has been my back up and my cooking teacher. 

Now the countdown til christmas can begin.

picture lust #2

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Clearly my obsession with pinterest has taken over. Hours can pass and all I have done is look at one gorgeous image after another. I have the sort of personality that just cannot get enough of beautiful photographs whether is fashion, art, design or beauty; the list is endless. And with the [potential] future mother in law visiting - I took the easy route for today's post.

Visitor No.2

I love visitors almost as much as I love food (please note the almost).

And tomorrow a special kind of visitor arrives. The boyfriends mother. I talked about visitor no.1 here and I am equally excited for the second arrival of the season. 

Some people find it odd how excited I get about a visit from potentially, the future mother-in-law but if you spent some time observing us in our natural habitat you would understand why. Firstly she is not just any old mother - she has this semi cool side (although don't tell her that because she will run with it), loves food about as much as I do and regularly sends me things that mean a lot (boots products, magazines, you know the stuff). 

Aside from that she has accepted me and deemed me good enough for her not so little boy and above all, she has been uber supportive in the [nearly] 8 years that I have know her. 

I wanted to post a stupid/funny picture of her here.......but thought against it since I could decide on one (yes there are many) and I thought best to wait til after she has left to post pictures.....at least then she cant murder me or deprive me of the huge magazine collection that is coming in her suitcase. 

the pooch

The pooch has very much become part of our lives. I feel bad for leaving her at home, I can't wait to go home from work and play with her and I love seeing the excitement that appears on he face at the utter mention of a W.A.L.K. [we have to spell it otherwise all hell breaks loose]. 

She has such a personality and has totally become our third family member. The boyfriend blindly mentioned something the other day about would we get a another dog when Millie.....I cant even type it.....you know isn't here any more. Well lets just say I am not willing to even contemplate such a scenario - I mean obviously, when she hits doggie old age they will have invented a way to make them live forever...no?

interested in pinterest?

I'm not sure whether I am usually a bit late to these things, or whether I consciously try to resist them for as long as possible because I know that once I start I will be hooked.

Well in the case of pinterest, I had heard a lot about it, but hadn't plucked up the courage to actually check it out. Because I knew it would be something I simply couldn't resist. And I was right. The creative eye in me could spend hours upon hours looking at beautiful images of fashion, art, food, sparkly things etc etc. And I like the concept of creating mood boards online, easily accessible and can be shared at the click of a button. 

I have been on pinterest for one day and I already have 9 boards and 30 pins. I think it's all downhill from here. Bye bye life. 

Find me on pinterest here. 

A is for aftersun

Note: I decided to challenge myself in the writing department and rejuvenate my imagination slightly and embark upon a somewhat random writing series. I'm calling it my A B C series and I am going to try and write a semi-meaningful post about something beginning with each letter of the alphabet. We will see how I get on; I do fear that my posts will become increasingly food related though....

Anyway, lets start with A. 

A is for aftersun. So, on Saturday I accidentally got a bit pink at the beach and said aftersun was called for in order to bring my skin back to life. I think I will blame the wind for misleading me into a false sense of sunshine security. In actual fact I think half of it was windburn and the other half was sunburn. Nevertheless, my skin was crying out for moisture.

Enter a range of lotions, creams and butters to soothe away the dry and pink skin.

I know it's better to prevent rather than cure, but when the damage is done, I find a combination of the above products, plus an ice cold [if you can find cold water, damn solar panels] shower will bring your skin back to life.

You can't really go wrong with a good old Nivea aftersun. Packed with aloe vera and avocado oil it moisturises and maintains a tan, which is hiding under all that pink skin. I have to say im not such a fan of the smell; it has this man's aftershave kind of hint to it which I dont mind, when it's on the boyfriend, just not when its smeared over my shoulders. 

 

Banana Boat Aloe Vera Gel is my favourite for its properties; the gel sinks in super quick and has this naturally cooling quality which you don't feel with a cream. And while it too has this aloe vera, mans aftershave smell, there is something sweet about it that overrides my senses. 

The Garnier Hydrating Lotion is a new addition - its actually something I picked up on my last trip to England. I saw it on promotion in Boots and thought to a time far away when my skin would be sun-drenched and lacking moisture, so obviously it was a must purchase. And its the perfect lotion for post sun exposure. I wouldn't say it has the strength to combat any serious sun exposure or burn for that matter, but it does moisture for sure.

Lastly is the Palmers Cocoa Butter, this is my go to at times of skin stress. This hard butter is the perfect skin saviour for more serious cases and while its a little oily in texture, it certainly makes skin super soft. And Saturday was a more serious case which called for the cocoa butter - it seriously works wonders thanks to the vitamin e.

Oh and it smells amazing.

sunday sound

Lana Del Rey has one of those sounds that I love; this gorgeous voice with husky undertones that kinda makes me feel relaxed in an instant. Not to mention her beauty. I previously talked about my love for her way back here, and she has gone from strength to strength. Now she offers us this beautiful track, Summertime sadness complete with her trademark haunting and husky qualities has been on repeat for the last few days.

the great escape

Nicosia has been like a ghost town for the past few weeks. With August comes the great escape - the majority of Nicosia residents up and leave for the beach which leaves the city empty and kind of life less, but quiet and oh so calm. 

The 15th of August is also a public holiday so many people plan their holiday around this time; but while everyone is relaxing and enjoying summer outside of the city, some of us still have work.

However Saturday is here so its time to find a nice little beach, relax and stare out at blue sea whilst the sun beats down on my skin. Oh I cant wait!

10...

... is the amount of minutes it takes me to walk to work. From my apartment door, including time spent waiting for and using the lift, to the door of my office, is less than 10 minutes. But in the summer months in Cyprus, the temperature hits the big figures early in the day and it's not unusual to have boiling sunshine at 7.30am!

Cue the boyfriend driving me to work every morning to ensure that I arrive as sweat free as possible. But those ten minutes have already had an impact on my body since I stopped walking around a month ago.

Actually it wasn't until I mentioned to the boyfriend that I felt a bit more wobbly the past few weeks that he highlighted the lack of walking in my schedule. I'm not one to be overly concerned about a little bit of wobble here and there, but I find it fascinating the impact such a short amount of time can have. I meant it really says something about the benefits of small but regular doses of activity.

Now it may not be the only factor; I mean the sheer amount of ice cream I have been consuming must have played it's part too. But who can say no to ice cream, especially when it's so hot and humid.

Rather than deprive myself of lifes little luxuries or give up my sweat free car rides, I am going to adopt my usual attitude in these situations and just not care because life is too short.

Ice cream anyone?

picture lust

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a new look

While I may be organised, I can be very indecisive and something such as a new blog design has brought out my inability to make a decision. However, thanks to the patience, artistic influence and talent of Daryl at Roots, Wings and Other Things, I now have a new look! 

The blog has had a complete overhaul from top to bottom and an injection of colour and creativity. The warm Mediterranean feel to the colours and the sketchy style graphic which reminds me of London combine perfectly the essence of this blog.

Hope you like the new look. You can check out more of Daryl's design work here and be sure to visit her blog; she is on the top of my reading list everyday.

What to wear for sports?

The only thing I like about sport is the clothing. I mean, when I went to the gym in London (where gyms are more private and professional unlike Cyprus where they are on main roads with huge glass windows so everyone can see you sweating) I think I was more interested in the clothing than the calorie burning activities. 

I got kind of addicted to the routine of the gym and even had that euphoric feeling after working out that makes you feel all buzzy and alive. But still the clothing rules all. 

I don't frequent the gym here in Cyprus and we don't have an H&M for that matter, but I still find myself lusting after their new sportswear range. My favourite affordable fashion powerhouse can do now wrong.

 

I particularly like the mixture of fashion and functionality, technology and aesthetic and the hot neon colours. I don't think it's enough to persuade me to kick-start a new fitness regime though.

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You can view the whole collection and purchase online at www.hm.com

it was meant to be

Sales drive me crazy. As someone who has organisation in their blood and who constantly rearranges the pillows on the bed so they look presentable, the sale rails of a any number of high street stores just stress me out. Firstly battling with other women on a small overcrowded rail is not my idea of fun. Secondly battling with hangers that somehow attach themselves to each other a result in a mess of garment and hanger is like a mental mind game for me which I have no patience for.

But I love a bargain so you see my predicament? Either I have to take deep breaths and brave the mess or head straight for the non sales items, all sitting perfectly on their hangers and in tidy areas? 

Yesterday, after a morning of lounging at the pool [oh it is a hard life I know - note: its a public pool, we don't have our very own unfortunately] we headed to the mall. Usually this would be a death wish on a Saturday, but it's August, which means the whole of Nicosia ups and leaves for the coast, namely Protoras. Leaving the city calmer and quieter, it's the best time to be here. 

The boyfriend gets kind of stressed at the mall due to the amount of people so I was given approximately 15 minutes to venture into Mango. Taking into account previously mentionned terror when it comes to sale, I was suprised at the organised nature of their sale and headed straight in. 

Sitting there amongst dresses and t shirts, on its hanger perfectly, without any distress was a gorgeous black chiffon skirt, with pleat detail at the front and a cross over style. It has pockets, a feature which I go crazy for in skirts and dress actually. And it was my size and on sale. 

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Surely it was fate. At least that was my excuse for the purchase. But at €12 it would have been rude to leave it there. 

sunday sound

A beautiful soulful sound to calm your senses on a hot and humid Sunday.

When I grow up I want a library

I have a thing about books. No matter how much technology develops  with these whole read a book on your tablet kinda thing, I will still be the one buying books off amazon and stealing them from the boyfriends mum (well she has an unhealthy obsession with buying books). 

There is something about actually holding a book in your hands that makes reading a better. Growing up my parents always made me read to better develop my vocabulary or whatever they tell you at school. But when I actually discovered the variety of books out there I think thats when my passion for reading and consequently writing took hold. And at university, I loved sitting in the library with a huge pile of fashion theory books piled high around me.

So it's only natural to want a library in my house no? Or is it high maintenance and extravagant. I dont want a huge library. Maybe more like a book cupboard. Or wall actually. A huge vast wall of books all lined up on white shelves, organised by subject matter; I mean whats a library without organisation. And lets face it, if your going to have a library (or book wall) you might as well do it properly. I think something like this would fit perfectly with my vision. 

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chocolate pasta

I am pretty open minded when it comes to food; I will at least try most things (except, eyeballs, livers etc.) but when a friend at work told me about a little place in down-town Nicosia that did chocolate raviolis I was a little confused. Chocolate and pasta. Really? 

When your faced with such a perplexing combination of food what else is there to do but go and try. And thats exactly what we did on Thursday after work - group girls trip to eat chocolate deserts. And the fact that I have no photographic evidence of it tells you something. I was so busy enjoying the amazing-ness of it all that our plates were empty before I even contemplated taking my camera out. 

I had to share the whole event nonetheless. If you ever get the chance to try chocolate raviolis..........do! 

magazines make my world go round

Living in London was dangerous for my bank balance, for numerous reasons like the sheer existence of H&M, Dorothy Perkins and GAP. But my inability to resist magazines was just as intense as my desire to enter any one of those stores.


My love for reading came from a young age; I always remember my Dad reading to me and encouraging me when we had reading homework from little kid school. Then my love of fashion came into force and so naturally, my love for magazines followed.

I studied for my degree in Writing, Fashion and Culture and as such "had" to read a whole plethora of amazing fashion textbooks [which my classmates weren't as pleased about] as well as a wide and varying range of magazines. At least this was my excuse for continually purchasing magazine after magazine.

To cut a long story short, since moving to Cyprus, where magazines are obviously priced on their weight or something because the prices are phenomenal, I have had to curb my craving and restrain myself. So when someone comes to visit, they must bring gifts in the form of our favourite publications.

And just when I was coming to end of my magazine stash, the boyfriends cousin just happens to be working a British Airways flight to Cyprus and all my magazine dreams are answered.

It was a good weekend.

in black and white

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Team GB

I was totally anti-Olympics before the whole event begun. This stance was due to many factors such as the sheer amount of stress and strain it was going to put on everyday Londoners and for many negative things such as this.

But from the moment my eyes were locked on the opening ceremony, I was hooked. Whoever coordinated that should get their own gold medal in my opinion and ok at some point I got a little confused about what was going on, overall the concept was pretty nice. I mean, the queen jumping out of a helicopter with Daniel Craig just epitomises the British humour no? (or it demonstrates how silly we are, I am not quite sure). 

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I think watching the cycling road race thingy (I am not so hot on the actual event names - funnily enough I am not familiar with sport in general so please forgive me) hosted in my old home town, watching them race round the areas we used to live and work sort of made it more real. Its odd when you see things you know so well on the TV, especially from another country.

And then the medals started coming. I think I have England loosing in football or tennis so permeated in my brain that for England to win things is kind of exciting. And with 34 medals, and third place overall in the medals table, I think the athletes are doing a pretty good job on home soil. 

So I will take a nice dose of humble pie and admit that I have Olympics fever. I even reach for my union jack handled spoons before any of the plain boring ones, which is obviously the indicator of my sheer commitment to team GB!

sunday sound

Well it was only appropriate to have an Olympic themed Sunday sound since we a right in the midst of Olympic madness. And this is a pretty nice video too. Happy Sunday. 

slow mode Saturday

Today I will mostly be cleaning our apartment and sweating. We had a semi summer thunderstorm yesterday afternoon and while it momentarily brought the temperatures down, the sweaty heat is back today with a vengeance. 

And today Millie will mostly be doing this......

Nothing but Love for McCartney!

the perfect height

Being from a tall family, height has never really been an issue. In fact, compared to my Dad and brother, I am on the short side. And with a whole range of friends coming in at the same level as me, well as I said, height has never been an issue. 

I would always shy away from wearing sky scraper heels, whether in England or Cyprus but I notice my height more here than ever before. So when it comes to purchasing or picking shoes for an occasion I am face with a dilemma; to heel or not to heel? 

For most ocassions a high heel is more appropriate than a flat, especially when the Cypriot women just love a a good heel. But being taller than average means it's a struggle to find an appropriate height heel. And with my best friends wedding in Cyprus at the beginning of October I am on the hunt the never ending hunt for the perfect height of heel. 

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