Archives for August 2017

Love me, love me knot.

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” – Lao Tzu

As you can tell from previous posts, I just love the colour red. Whether it’s formal, or something casual like this dress, I always feel my best in red. Not only was I attracted to this dress because of the colour, but also the knotted detail, which elevates the basic t-shirt dress. I’ve had students in the past actually ask me if I even wear dresses at home on the weekend, to which I of course answered “yes”. This dress is one of those versatile pieces that can be accessorized different ways according to the occasion. I paired it with casual black heels and love-themed jewelry for a day out, but could also see myself wearing it lounging around the house because it’s made of a comfortable jersey cotton.

Dress: Urban Outfitters. Bag: Saint Laurent. Shoes: Cole Haan. Bracelet: Baublebar. Earrings: Forever 21. Lips: Marc Jacobs Je’taime.

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Fashion

Endless summer.

“People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy.” – Anton Chekhov

It’s sad for me to think that summer is almost over. Though I still do have some time to soak up as much of the break as possible, I keep thinking back to how great our trip was. In a previous post, I mentioned how the city of Rovinj was one of my favourites in Croatia. Most of our time there was spent just wandering the streets of its old town, browsing shops, and taking mojito breaks. The highlight though was sitting on a rocky beach watching the sun set over the Adriatic. It always ends up being the relaxing and simple moments that become the most memorable.

This romper was a perfect choice for the day. It’s so comfortable that it feels like I’m wearing pyjamas! Paired with easy-to-walk-in sandals, and a bag big enough to hold the day’s essentials, I was ready to explore!

Romper: Asos. Shoes: Call It Spring. Bag: Louis Vuitton. Sunglasses: Karen Walker. Watch: Chanel. Bracelet: Stella&Dot. Lips: Guerlain Rouge Kiss.

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Travel

The Sights of Slovenia.

“One of the main points about travelling is to develop in us a feeling of solidarity, of that oneness without which no better world is possible.” – Ella Maillart

While planning our trip to Croatia, I kept reading about how I should sprinkle in some of Slovenia into the itinerary. Though it is a small country, there were many things for us to see during our three days there.

Ljubliana

Ljubliana is the capital of Slovenia, and where we based ourselves for four nights. We spent one full day exploring the city, which reminded me of a little Vienna. From cute shops, to churches, bridges, to castles, and kielbasa, Ljubljana was beautiful and charming.

Picturesque Ljubljana

Posing in Metelkova

Views from the castle

Dragon Bridge

Skocjan Caves

We decided to tour this cave as opposed to the popular Postojna cave because it has Europe’s largest cavern and it would apparently be less touristy. The caves can only be seen with a tour, and we were not allowed to take pictures. The cavern was indeed massive and impressive.

Predjama Castle

I first saw pictures of this castle on Pintrest, and knew that I’d have to visit it if given the chance. I mean, it’s a castle – in a cave! Though pretty on the outside, the audio guide continuously stressed how it was an awful place to live. Well, it was a great place to see!

Lake Bled

From Lubljiana, we took a day trip to nearby Lake Bled. From walking around the lake, paddling to the small island in the middle, to eating the famous cream cake, this day was definitely one well spent.

Vintgar Gorge

We stopped at Vintgar Gorge for about an hour after our visit to Lake Bled. The gorge is a short stretch of some incredibly beautiful scenery.

Slovenia was certainly a beautiful country to visit. Though I think I prefer Croatia as a travel destination, I’m still glad I added Slovenia to our itinerary for its beauty and culture.

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Travel

Croatian Vacation: Part Two.

“To travel is to take a journey into yourself.” – Danny Kaye

Our Croatian vacation has to be one of our most relaxing trips to date. Though we did walk a lot and drove from city to city, we had ample time to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the views. Mojitos were popular to drink while sitting at a street-side bar people watching. In terms of accommodations, we opted to stay at Air B&Bs, as there are few hotels with the location, style, and price range we wanted. All of our hosts were very friendly and easy to contact. As mentioned in my previous post, the food on our trip was great! From fresh seafood, to Bosnian, to cevapcici, we felt very satisfied with our meals. We were also fortunate with the weather because as we were leaving, Europe was entering a heat wave! I would totally recommend Croatia to anyone who is looking for a European destination that is laid back as it is beautiful and lively.

Lake Plitvice

According to pretty much every travel post online, Plitvice Lakes is not to be missed, and they were right. I don’t think I’ve seen so many waterfalls in my life! Everywhere we looked, nature was at its best.

Pula

On our way to Rovinj we stopped for a few hours in Pula. The main attraction here was the incredibly well preserved Roman amphitheatre.

Roadside views

Pulling over on our drive to admire the scenery

Roman amphitheatre

Rovinj

I think this was my favourite city to travelled to in Croatia. It was super small with cute houses and stunning views of the Adriatic. It was so enjoyable just getting lost through the streets for a day.

Views from the church bell tower

It’s fun getting lost!

Romantic and adorable

Nothing beats viewing the sunset over the Adriatic

Zagreb

We ended our vacation in Zagreb, the country’s capital. The full day we had here was the hottest, but we still enjoyed our time checking out art, churches, and architecture.

Jelacic Square

Apparently the neck tie was invented in Croatia

St. Mark’s Church

A hot day in Zagreb

Next week I’ll be talking more about our Slovenian travels. Stay tuned!

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Travel

Croatian Vacation: Part One

“Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend. To understand the things that are at our door is the best preparation for understanding those that lie beyond.” – Hypatia

Travelling is definitely a passion of mine. Since I was young, I always wanted to see the world. My husband and I have been making it an annual tradition to travel around the time of our anniversary, and this year we decided to vacation in the beautiful countries of Croatia and Slovenia. Why Croatia and Slovenia? Well, I have heard wonderful things about both from friends, and after doing some research online, I knew that the stunning views these two countries had to offer were what my husband and I were looking for. After reading Rick Steves’ travel guide, TripAdvisor and Reddit posts, I came up with our itinerary. We tend to enjoy a combination of history, culture, beautiful views, and some relaxation (if we have time!) and wanted the freedom of having a car. Croatia did not disappoint on all fronts. The people were incredibly friendly, and the food was surprisingly fantastic. And being a crazy cat lady, Croatia was awesome – there were cats everywhere and I even made a few fur friends. I have a lot of say and show, so expect a couple more vacation posts in the next week!

Dubrovnik

Famous for the location of Kings Landing in Game of Thrones, this city remained one of the highlights of our entire trip. Dubrovnik is nothing short of gorgeous – a historical old town with small streets on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. What we especially enjoyed was our day trip to the nearby island of Lokrum.

Drinks at Buza Bar

Game of Thrones tour

Taking a break in old town

Views from the city walls

Lokrum island

The beaches of Lokrum

Dubrovnik from far above

Hvar

Known as a party city and the celebrity destination of Croatia, Hvar had a bustling nightlife and stunning views. We rented a boat one of our days on the island and were able to explore the smaller Pakleni islands and swim in the sea. One of my favourite meals was a seafood risotto at the restaurant Laganini.

Beautiful hidden streets

An evening stroll with seaside views

A day out on a boat

Swimming in the Adriatic

Split

Split is the second biggest city in Croatia. Though not as stunning as the previous two cities (in my opinion), it offered a lot of history for us to see including Diocletian’s Palace and Klis Fortress. It was super hot the day we were in Split, but were able to keep cool with copious amounts of ice cream!

Taking a break in some Roman ruins

Views from the harbour

Hot morning in Klis Fortress

Klis Fortress

Stay tuned for another Croatia post featuring Plitvice Lakes, Rovinj, and Zagreb!

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Fashion

Red alert.

“I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them.” – John Stuart Mill

My husband loves to remind (or maybe tease) me how fortunate I am to have two months off in the summer. I sometimes even feel guilty staying home while he has to go to work. I have to think, however, how incredibly insane the other ten months out of year are for me. The summer is needed to recharge my batteries, and reenergize for September. During my time off I don’t just lounge around and stare at the television, but engage in some self reflection. I lesson plan and set goals for the upcoming year, and I reevaluate my teaching philosophy. I really wish everyone enjoyed this luxury. When we allow ourselves to stop for a moment in this society that seems to be ‘go, go, go’ we are able to enjoy our lives more and cherish the relationships we have. Needless to say, I’m enjoying my summer and soaking up all the fun and relaxation I can get – whether dining out with my husband, catching up with friends, or just reading a book.

Dress: Abercrombie & Fitch. Shoes: Franco Sarto. Bag: Cult Gaia. Scarf: Hermes. Earrings: Baublebar. Bracelet: Louis Vuitton. Watch: Chanel. Lips: MAC Russian Red.

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Philosophy

On competition.

“Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim.” – Bertrand Russell

It has been a little over a year since I started blogging, and while I really enjoy it, I find myself getting caught in the trap of being competitive and jealous. From “I wish I had what they had” to “I have to get more followers”, blogging has resurfaced the competitive nature in me. When I was younger I constantly felt the need to be the best, especially in the classroom. I wanted to be every teacher’s favourite student, and I had to have straight A’s. I wouldn’t even play a sport if I knew I wasn’t that good at it for fear of losing. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing; it made me work harder and fostered beneficial characteristics such as being determined, focused, and diligent. By being competitive, I would try my best to reach my goals and be the best I could be.

Now that I am older, I know that being competitive isn’t as positive as I once thought it was. As a teacher, I see explicit competitiveness with my students. They ask each other about their marks, mostly when receiving back a test or assignment. It breaks my heart when I see some students sink back into their seats after comparing themselves to each other. For adults, competition is more implicit, especially through social media. We like to try to “one up” each other through our Facebook and Instagram posts, of course only through showing carefully chosen pictures. The problem is that competition fuelled by jealousy is unproductive and damaging to your self esteem. I need to take my own advice and stop comparing myself to others. I should only focus on improving myself by my own standards, not those of other Instagram bloggers. I will never be them, nor would I totally want to be. I have to be not just satisfied, but happy with who I am and the life I live. It’s dangerous to think too much about the “I wishes” and be envious of others. This attitude will only leave one feeling disappointed and unfulfilled.

In the end, a little bit of competition can be healthy if it helps you reach your personal goals, but you don’t have to be the best at everything. My advice is to celebrate your accomplishments and just be happy and do what you love. Don’t let what others are doing bring you down. Instead, be proud of who you are and remember that empowered women empower women. Life is just too short to be in a never-ending competition.

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