blog everyday in May - a vivid memory

Day 31!!!! I made it.

I can't actually believe I made it! I have blogged every day in May; even the days I was in London (with a little help from the blogger schedule option), even the days when I didn't want to blog and had that lack of connection with it. Jenni came along with another great prompt to send me on my way.

And here we are at the last day of the challenge....I am a bit late in the day but here we go with a vivid memory. 

The day I started university was probably the most nerve-raking, anxiety ridden day of my life. My brother and my dad unloaded all my belongings into my teeny tiny new home and said some emotional goodbyes before heading back to London. 

This was the first time I had lived on my own, away from home and I am not going to lie, it was a pretty daunting experience. 

Until I met these two. 

Who could resist those two smiling faces. 

We bonded on the first night and became somewhat inseparable for the three years that followed. All completely different personalities but we found common ground somewhere and had many moments of laughter, happiness, tears and maybe a few a tantrums along the way. 

I will always remember the day I met these two (both called Sarah); fresh faced freshers starting our adventures at university. And while I may not remember everything of those three years that followed, we certainly have enough photographs to help us on our way.

midweek mix 30/05/2013

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Find me here, on pinterest, for more random images (as the weeks got by, I am sure they will become more summer related).

blog everyday in May - letting go.

This term has many meanings for me.

Sometimes you have to let go [I talked about it here before] of the people you love for no apparent reason and sometimes you have to accept that the people you love need to let go. 

By nature, I am organised and like to have a sense of control over myself and my surroundings. I find it hard to let go of my inhibitions and not think about the practicalities of life. I don't know why. That's just the way I was built.

Wanting to be with the friends or family; the people that you love is a natural thing. Letting them go is never easy but sometimes, you have to sacrifice your own emotions for the greater good of the team (as I like to say). 

blog everyday in May - 5 songs that bring back memories

We are near the end of the challenge now and today is an easier one for all of us that have made it this far; we need an easier one! 5 songs that bring back memories. At first I was like ohhh this is going to be easy. And the I realised my memory when it comes to music is awful! But I wracked my brains and consulted a few friends so here it goes... Robbie Williams // Angels - reminds me of being 10 and brings back memories of my Mum. 


Moby // Lordy dont leave me - reminds me of the boyfriend

Whiteny Houston // I wanna dance with somebody - reminds me of university, being with an amazing group of girls (and guys who didn't appreciate the song) and having one too many cocktails.



Daniel Merriweather // Red - the emotional goodbyes to most fantastic housemates a girl could ever ask for after three years of university.



Florence & The Machine + Dizzee Rascal // You got the dirtee love - reminds me of a million things, a million people and a million good times, being home in Laaaandddan  town (as dizzee would say).

fish-cakes

Now I am alone, I have become a bit more adventurous in the kitchen. I am not sure if it's because I am bored or I have more freedom to cook different things. But tonight's dinner inspiration came courtesy of a little recipe that can be found here. 

Tuna fish-cakes have been on my list of things to knock up for a while, but they are something I think the boyfriend would have been a bit dubious about eating. 

they don't look that appetising at this -pre-frying stage!

Ok so I didn't follow the recipe strictly and I didn't measure anything. This meant I ended up with more potato than necessary and my fish-cakes were a bit sloppy shall we say. But they still tasted pretty good. 

Cooking for me is always trial and error; well that way I get to eat more!

blog everyday in May - pictures speak louder!

Today it's just pictures (ok so I know I am starting with words but need a little bit of narrative). I have been meaning to post a London recap, which as you guess is pretty photo heavy and Jenni and her challenge have given me the perfect opportunity. So here we go.... my London trip in pictures! (no more words I promise).

blog everyday in May - Dear reader...

Today we are giving back to our readers in the blog everyday in May challenge with Jenni.

Dear reader,

Whoever you are. Some of you I know. Some of you I don't. Some of you I never knew until starting this blog. You are half the reason I keep going with this whole blogging thing. The other half is me. It is some what therapeutic to write everything whirling round my head down and document the different phases of my life. But you are also a part of that therapy. Your comments and suggestions and feedback   let me know your out there somewhere and spur me on to continue, to develop and write more. 

So like many others in this challenge, this post is an opportunity to say thank you. 

What a nice way to start the week! 

beauty: sun-care essentials

It's that time of year again in Cyprus... Summer! It is a bit hotter than usual for May and as such I have already had my first sunburn experience of the season *read: my own stupidity took over due to increased temperatures*.

So some summer essential items are already sitting pretty in my bathroom, ready for use. 

The ROC Soleil Protexion 30 is a great sunscreen. It has a super gentle smell (which is a big plus for me because sun-care always has that can't-quite-put-your-finger-on-it smell) great texture that's not greasy and the spray bottle is so convenient. Because when you hit the beach, it's to relax. Not spend 20 minute fiddling with sun cream bottles and applying to every inch of your pale skin.

Now the Vitamin C Daily Moisturiser SPF 30* was given to me by the great ladies at Body Shop Cyprus and is now on my testing list. I used it at the beach on Saturday and came back with a nice glow, not a red nose, so it stood up to that adventure. But as the bottle says, it's a daily moisturiser. But sometimes, the sun-care moisturisers are a bit greasy and since my skin is oily anyway, I usually find my make up half way down my neck in no time. So I will be putting it to the test over the course of the week and I will let you know how I get on.

blog everyday in May - "something I read online"

Only 5 days left - high five to everyone that made it this far in the blog everyday in May challenge Jenni set us. Its been a goodun'. Today I am sharing something I read online. But first, a little back story. 

When I lived in London, Wednesday was my favourite day of the week. Not because it was midweek and not because of Orange Wednesdays (Orange is a phone provider in the UK and every Wednesday, if your signed up with them, you can text to get a code for discount on cinema tickets and pizzas! - such an awesome idea by the way). Anyway, I digress. 

Wednesday was my favourite day because it was the day Stylist magazine was published. A fantastic and free, women's magazine that can be picked up at train stations and stores. For a freebie, I found it always had a great level of content; interesting features, affordable fashion for all and great beauty and travel sections. Thank goodness they have a website which has the same great content, otherwise I would go crazy. 

They have a fantastic columnist, Lucy Mangan, who says it how it is and I feel such an affinity for her and the way she writes. 

So today I am sharing with a great little article. "I don't want skinny, I want Toblerones" - Lucy Mangan on 'model thin'. 

Studying fashion and in particular fashion writing, I think has made it easier for me to disassociate the images I see in magazines and seeping from the fashion industry, with reality. Because the women in magazines are always photoshopped, whatever their original size and women on the catwalk are usually mere teenagers, not legally allowed to drink, drive a car or do anything remotely "adult". 

They are there simply for their pre-pubescent, stick like bodies, which designers feel show their clothes better. Maybe it's just me, but when I look at catwalk pictures, I am generally so overcome by the models that I dont even focus on the clothes. 

What this tiny percentage of women represent is far from reality. The average women in the UK would not relate to them and in fact, many women  who work in the fashion industry won't relate to them.

Models are merely a blank canvas; their lifestyles are erratic and for sure their careers have a definite sale by date. So as Lucy put it, I would rather have a giant Toblerone than even work up the effort to think about being thin. 

On that note I am off to eat a cookie!

sunday sound #21

blog everyday in May - what someone told me

My auntie once told me that every time she sees me I look more and more like my Mum. 

Knowing that I have inherited her characteristics, her insatiable need for laughter and great humor, her love of food as well as her physical traits, makes me happy. 

blog everyday in May - 3 worst traits

I am a bit late with today's post, I know, but I got there in the end. In my defense there have been some exciting blog related activities going down today, which you will be seeing here in the not so distant future. But back to today...

I find it really hard to talk about myself; whether it's in a positive or negative light, writing stuff down about me is probably the hardest thing for me. I don't know why but I'll give it a go today as I discuss my 3 worst traits.

I have no willpower.

I think willpower is one of those things you either have or you don't. Sure you can work at building it but it will never really be easy unless your that natural personality that is controlled and can restrain yourself. It's funny because if you look at the rest of my character, willpower would fit in perfectly. 

For me willpower comes and goes. When it comes to food, magazines and beauty products, my willpower fades away into the depths of my brain and has no chance of taking hold. 

I'm not terribly independent.

Ok, so I managed three years at university, life in London and moved to another country, which can all be quite lonely experiences. And I a now find myself living alone in Cyprus, which I am somewhat handling. I am independent in the sense that I will get on with whatever life throws at me, but I would much prefer it if there were people around to share with. I need that support of another to reassure me that my decisions and actions are ok. 

I eat my nails.

Probably one of my worst traits. Whenever I am stressed, angry, anxious, nervous; pretty much all emotions really, I eat my nails and my cuticles. It is gross. I know it is gross. But it's one of those annoying habits that I can't break. Maybe if I had some willpower I could!

blog everyday in May - life teaches you more than school

I personally think school is a really small part of life. Ok it is your foundation for education and somewhat kick starts your learning. But overall, I think living life teaches you more things through experience than school ever can. I mean who even uses the periodic table on a daily basis unless your a scientist! 

Life teaches you....

To take responsibility for your actions.
When to say sorry.
To work hard and play hard.
Manners go a long way.
The meaning of love and loss.
To appreciate what you have.
That friendships are forever.

midweek mix 22/05/2013

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blog everyday in May - My rant!

My rant was originally going to be focused on manners and how people lack them. Then today when I was walking the dog I was nearly ran over 3 times, yes 3 times so I decided to rant about drivers in Cyprus and their lack of awareness for pedestrians. 

And then I flicked onto the BBC news website and read about the horrific incident that took place in London this afternoon and decided this post would be a better place to talk about the meaningless violence that occurred this afternoon. 

I grew up in London and remember as a kid, playing in the street on a summer evening, running around in shorts and flip flops with the neighbours kids without a care in the world. My mum would occasionally come and check on us to make sure no bones were broken and no fights over barbie had errupted, but all in all we were left to enjoy our childhood play time. 

As I got older, London has become less safe every year. I am now 25 and everytime I return to London, I am constantly thinking about the dangers. In my head I am always aware of where I am, who is around me and what possessions I have on display. Because in London, anyone can be a victim. 

I think the thing that makes me the most upset and in fact angry, is the way people are more and more, using violence to express themselves. I kind of horrifies me that in such a dynamic and technologically advanced country such as the UK, people can be so barbaric. 

And it's always the innocent people that suffer. A man today, who might be a soldier (this hasn't been confirmed yet) was run over by a car and then attacked in daylight, with a machete. Its possible the incident was a terrorist attack with political or religious motivations. 

One of the things I love about London is the diversity; the huge mix of cultures and nationalities and lifestyles that all combine to make London such an exciting and eclectic place. But its those same things, that are increasingly fragmenting the country. I don't live through rose-tinted glasses and know that the world is an awful place where bad things happen everyday and every one can't get along. 

But it makes it so much more real when it's on your doorstep right!?

Rant over.

blog everyday in May - my favourite posts

Today is an easy one over on the blog everyday in May challenge and I fine with that after the crazy few weeks I have had. So we are going to step back in time and browse my archive to find some of my favourite posts. *note the layout and style has not always been so sophisticate and professional as it is now so I apologise in advance* 

I am going to go from the oldest to the newest and while they arent maybe my favourite posts, they are some I really enjoyed.


Wheres the silver lining? - as a fresh faced graduate with a degree in Fashion Writing, I was somewhat disillusioned with what the world had to offer me.

The world of an intern - read on if you have ever been an intern or worked for free, but not in the volunteer kind of sense, in the professional business world being somewhat exploited kind of sense.

The death of fashion - a more serious post about fashion (my earlier blog years were more fashion focused as I was a fresh graduate with a fashion writing degree, but I have since diversified and found other areas that interest me just as much). If you think you can write seriously about fashion, you are so wrong!

Sunshine makes the world go round - although in the case of London, it usually makes everything stop. Sweaty tube - no thank you!

A long time coming - the start of our adventures in Cyprus and what I thought would be a permanent suntan. I was wrong. Cyprus has seasons too. And winter is darn cold!

A lot can happen in a year - my favourite video by my favourite image site, comprising the best images of 2011. 

The obligatory post holiday photo post - my favourite place in Cyprus and I got some great photos!

8 years feels like 8 minutes - relationships.

Kathara Deftera - its all about the food in Cyprus!

Expat Issues - because long distance relationships are just as hard as long distance friendships.

Life in 250 words or less - and we are back to the present, last but not least my favourite from the blog everyday in May challenge. Trying to sum up my life in 250 words. Very challenging.

blog everyday in May - something I am struggling with.

Day 20 of blog everyday in May with Jenni and today we are about to get real as we discuss something we are struggling with right now.

Im not sure if this is good timing or bad timing; I mean I have something I am really struggling with which means content for this post, but it also means putting my feelings down into actual words on-screen for all to see and more importantly for me to see (do you have that thing that sometimes everything is so much clearer when you see words in front of you instead of thinking about them all jumbled in your head). 

Recently the boyfriend and I embarked on a long distance relationship as his work has taken him to Germany. We have done several periods of distance (which I talked about before here) so it is nothing new and we both agree that the time apart actually makes our relationship better. We also have a pretty regular communication pattern involving whatsapp and skype so it never really feels like we are that far apart; I really believe seeing the person that you are away from makes a huge difference. 

But this time I am struggling. Quite a lot. 

Maybe it's because I now feel somewhat alone in Cyprus without him here. Maybe it is because I am living alone, something which I always knew I wouldn't be great at, and something which I am currently grinning and bearing for the greater good. Or maybe because he is setting up in Germany without me and having all these exciting adventures that I am quite jealous of actually. 

Having my birthday and Greek orthodox East roll around right after he left didn't help with my mental stability either and while my friends here have been fantastic and totally supportive, I really feel the void that is now apparent without him here. 

But as with any struggle I have good days and bad days; sometimes I relish my own space and sometimes that same space highlights the loneliness I feel. 

I do have one companion left  in my little apartment that I am so thankful for. 

blog everyday in May - my 5 favourite blogs

I am still a little shocked that I made it this far in the blog everyday in May challenge and quite proud of myself for sticking with it. I think the whole thing has been a major motivating factor and couldn't have come at a better time - I was beginning to get a little bit stuck in a blogging rut and this has given me a fresh pair of eyes when it comes to blog content. 

Today it's all about these lovely ladies though...

See what I see designs - this lady was my first Cyprus blog find when I moved over to this little island. Reading her posts about her experiences in Cyprus made me feel a little more at ease with my new surroundings and she is a wonderful artist, so there are many pretty things to feast your eyes on.

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Lost and Found - I studied with Laura way back in our university days (which feels like a very long time ago now) and she is such a lovely person, something which exudes from her blog! I always feel at home here and love her food posts and updates on her adventures, often wedding related (ones she attends as a guest, not the bride) with her boy in my home town of London. And if you follow her on instagram you will see her daily outfit photos; all outfits I want to steal! 

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Unlost - I have a special love for this lady because she did my blog design a while back. But I mostly I love Daryl's way of blogging, I always feel like she is sitting next to me over coffee when I read her posts. And she covers a whole host of things from life situations, to fashion and as a photographer, has some great images over there. Plus she was an expat for a while and I can totally relate to that!

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Vanisha's Life in Australia - I found this lady by accident. You know when your scanning blog comments and something just pings out at you and you know you must follow your eyes to that blog. Well I think that is what happened here. I love Vanishas blog for the pretty design and her painfully honest posts about life as an expat and in a long distance relationship. She has the style that I can totally relate to her and reading her posts induces a huge sense of empathy in me. Plus she is totally gorgeous (which I am rather jealous of). 

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The Arizona Russums - I think this lady is just fabulous. She has a totally honest way of depicting her life and shares so selflessly with her readers. I found her a while back through Jennis blog and have been hooked every since on her journey through life as a newlywed and now an expectant mother! She is super sweet and always includes great photographs of her adventures with her husband. 

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