Hello my friends! I hope you are all o.k. It's Friday after all! The weather in my town is very "nasty" today. There is a very strong south wind, the sky has the "fifty shades of grey" and looks so amazingly light and heavy at the same time and the rain seems like will never stop….
But, somehow, I feel so great today, as if the sunniest day was sent here on earth! It's one of those wonderful days that you feel just happy with no particular reason. It probably has to do with general gratitude for life itself and the "oh so" desired inner calm that I possess today…. Or maybe it's the magical and therapeutical sound of the rain combined with the peace of the light grey atmosphere….. Oh, and I've heard that it snowed at the mountains! How cheerful and rejuvenating is that!
I captured some moments of my day to share with you via instagram and maybe give you some ideas on what to do on a rainy day like today:

• I wrote on my DIY "5 minute a day journal".
  
• I had my morning coffee at bed, reading a little, and….
  
• Dreaming of my next journey….
  
• I warmed up my body and my soul with the most flavorous tea!
  
• I made a mushroom and pepper omelette for breakfast and strength.
  
• I scheduled to organize my closet one day in the near future, just to feel more neat and confident.
  
• I walked on my new treadmill, since that was easier than hitting the road, and felt so wonderful! Back in action again, after a long, long period of hibernation…
  
• I enjoyed a comfort dinner with my love, and last but not least….
  
• I got tons of inspiration by Abraham Linkoln's saying from my "Just for today be happy" book.
  

I hope you enjoyed my "instaday" post and I wish you all a fabulous weekend!
Love you,
xoxo, Elena

Hello dear friends! I hope you're all real fine and hanging on with the "Christmasy" madness that's all around us these days.
I haven't trimmed the tree, yet (!!!…..), hopefully I'll give it a try tonight…, but I managed to make a Christmas cake! Yeeaaaah!!!
I've seen this impressive cake at "Nigella's Christmas Kitchen" and desperately wanted to make it this Christmas! That of course meant, that I had to order for the cake tin first… which I did some time ago. You can't find this amazingly beautiful cake tin in any store at Greece, that's why I had to order it online. I purchased mine, after a small research, from Jane Asher and I am very satisfied with my choice! It may be a little pricey, but it is an excellent piece that will beautify your Christmases for a lifetime... 

Last night, occupied by the spirit of Christmas, I decided to use my cake tin for the very first time. Actually this cake is all about the cake tin! That's what makes the whole difference and transforms the simplest cake recipe to a Christmas masterpiece!
You can make any recipe you like, but for my first experiment I wanted to try the Nigella's original one using cinnamon and ginger as well instead of vanilla flavor only…. and guess what…. The whole house smelled like Christmas! Such an irresistible kind of smell! I baked my cake late at night, but the baking flavor rewarded me and relaxed me as well…
After almost 50 minutes I decided it was well baked and took it out of the oven patiently waiting for it to cool so that I can turn it out…. That was a bit stressful! What if the cake was stuck in the tin and didn't want to come out….???
Thank God everything went just fine and eight little tiny Christmas trees were proudly standing in front of me on their cake stand!
Happy as a child!  

I haven't tasted my Christmas cake yet, but I'm quiet sure it's going to be delicious! As a matter of fact I'm waiting for my mister to  come back from work, so that we can enjoy it together with our afternoon coffee. After all, he was my helping hand last night doing all the messy sink washing himself! Love him!

As for me, I'm just having my late morning cup of coffee, photo shooting (…and admiring!) my "Christmas trees cake" in front of my advent calendar… 19th of December already! I'd better hurry and trim that poor tree waiting for me at my living room with only the lights on it!
Bye, bye!
Love you all, 
xoxo, Elena

Hello my sweet friends. Spring is officialy here since we're in March, but the weather definitely looks like winter.... ok, maybe not a heavy, cold winter... but definitely not spring! Are you confused? So am I! Well March happens to be the most confusing and unexpected month of the year. March is also the month I was born! No comments on that one, please... Actually is the month of birthdays in my family since me, my husband and my father in law we all have our birthdays in March!
Unfortunately it's been raining three days in a row and although it was a long weekend here in Greece with Monday a day off everybody stayed indoors... what a pity! With the weather matching my mood completely and my soul crying for a reason... or many reasons.... I spent the weekend at home with my husband relaxing, watching movies on TV (we also rent the "Malavita" DVD with Robert de Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer which was good enough), watching the carnival in many Greek -and not only- towns, surfing the internet, reading... and sleeping... a lot.
After this... exciting, but necessary cocooning Tuesday has arrived and guess what??... Sun came out of the clouds bright and magnificent to warm our hearts and spread the happiness... but I still feel cold and my mind is so full of worrying thoughts...
Time will show, only time and some action...Hey, look, the sun is smiling, let's smile too, it's not that difficult!

Thank you so much for reading,
I'm so happy and grateful I have five wonderful followers at bloglovin,
thanks so much for your appreciation!
Love you all,
xoxo, Elena

• Spring fling 1: toning WO
• POP pilates: tricep toner
• ABC Abs!  / POP pilates
• Crazy 6 pack Ab WO
• Toned triceps challenge to pay phone

Have a great weekend!
Love you
xoxo,Elena

Sometimes when the rainbow doesn't appear on itself...
you just have to grab the brush
and put some colour in your life on yourself!
So simple!
Love you,
xoxo Elena

Hello my friends. "Christos Anesti", many happy returns to everybody! I wish you all to be healthy and happy! I'm so sorry I skiped this Mondays' weekly links, but I was so happily busy with all that Easter preparations and I really didn't find the time to write...and to be pretty honest... I really wanted to dedicate my time and my love to friends and family, because I believe they need it the most. We had five days of Easter holiday here in Greece this year, which is pretty long time and it was really  wonderful. Lots of rest, lots of food, lots of togetherness, lots of love.... we all need these moments  from time to time. But I didn't forget you! I'm back wishing you a lovely... rest of the week and sharing with you these beautiful links, even if it's Wednesday!

~ Healthy eating: Do you remember 3 Busy Girl Breakfast and Lunch from the previous weeks? Well, finally we have the most challenging project for this week: 3 Busy Girl Dinners !

~ Fitness: ABC Abs! Work those "muffins" having fun! Feel like a child again!

~ Outfit love: Mix! Loved the color combination, loved the idea! And another printed tee, more neat, yet perfect combination  as well!

~ Summer requires long walks and carefree, bare feet... summer requires adorable sandals... check the best here and here!

~ A little dessert therapy...: Baked Alaska!

~ Magazine: Matchbook, May 2013 issue

~ Apartment love: Danielle Moss’ Chicago Apartment Tour. So clean, fresh and feminine!

~ Kitchen envy: Fresh, white,... spacious kitchen!!

~ I heart: wall oranizers

~ Quote wisdom:

Hello everybody! I hope you had a beautiful weekend. We spent ours spring cleaning, you see it's Easter week here in Greece and we want everything to be fresh and clean for the Big Day...Such a rejuvenating season! Inside and outside! I wish I had more time for my blog, but it' s crazy around here! Anyway I spared some time this morning to write these wonderful notes and links from around the "blogosphere" for you, as I do every Monday... Enjoy them!

~ Sparkling new come and get fit video from blogilates! Love it! It's kiiiiiilling me!!.. Actually killing my fat and sparkling me!!!

~ Very interesting apartment... interesting pieces and ideas for my home, although I redecorated recently...

~ Closets, closets, oh gorgeous closets!.... And what about these clear shoe boxes?... Briliant!

~ Spring fresh outfit ideas: Chambray skirt & Gold sandals and Yellow tweed & Lime peplum

~ We spring cleaned our porches this weekend and I just can't stop thinking of this marvellous outdoor living space since then...

~ Springtime, outgoing time... bring some fresh air in your car with these easy to make car air fresheners

~Healthy eating: 3 Busy Girl Lunches. Don't they look delicious? And do you remember 3 Busy Girl Breakfasts from last week's links? Great, too!

~ The perfect bite: lemon bars!

~ Taylor Sterling and her blog Sterling Style were of  my first loves when I explored and discovered the wonderful world of blogs...Glitter guide, her new and... shiny blog automatically became a new addiction of mine... And look at her now in one of the most famous fashion magazines worldwide, Elle magazine! I'm so, sooo happy... and proud of her... and me(!!!) discovering her in my very first steps... isn't she fabulous??!!!!

~ I can't wait for the cinematic event of the summer: the "Great Gatsby", at cinemas from May 10th

Bye, bye
see you soon,
love you
xoxo Elena

(photos: via, via, via)

It's been a strange, rather difficult week with lots of "ups" and downs", followed by a very emotionally charged weekend. We had our dearest aunt's 40 days memorial yesterday,  I saw some relatives and old friends I haven't seen for years (some of them for many, many years...), I saw places from the past, too, I realized how some things change over the years , while some others remain the same for ever... years are really passing and it's really hard to say the last "goodbye" to people you've loved the most... but it's very, very important to show your love to them while they're still alive. That's all that matters. To love our people when they're here, with us. Endless memories and thoughts went through my mind these days... when you lose someone you love, you are not only saying "goodbye" to your beloved one, you're saying "goodbye" to a whole part of your life story as well... I don't know which one of the two hurts the most, but I always reach the same conclusion: to love and to live each moment of your life...

The last thing I wanted is to make you feel sad. Life is so beautiful, is just not always pink... Certain difficulties appear to each one of us, we just have to learn to get over them and stand on our feet again. Our beloved persons will always live in our hearts as long as we shall live, but life is going on and I'm 100% sure that "they" want us to live happily...

And as I use to do the last three Mondays now, I also have some lovely links here for you today. I hope you like it!

~ "Best blog post" prize: Daddy Where Are You?

~ Fitness: POP Pilates for Beginners - Total Body Workout (no more excuses...)

~ The perfect breakfast: 3 Busy Girl Breakfasts

~ The perfect snack: French Bread Pizza

~ Sweet delight: Dark Chocolate Mousse

~ Outfit love: Cold Front...

~ Magazine: Adore, April/May 2013

~ List love: 11 Ways to Improve Your Life

~  The "it list" from ZsaZsa Bellagio

~ New DIY blog love: Best of DIY by Centsational Girl

Have a lovely week,
Love you all,
xoxo, Elena

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Hello my friends! I hope you all had a beautiful weekend followed by a fabulous week! It's been raining many days, here in Greece, but who really cares? Spring is coming! Let's be a little optimistic every now and then!  I have some lovely  links here for you which I believe they'll make your week a little brighter ...and sunnier! Have a fab week!

~ The best breakfast sandwich you could ever imagine!

~ Cook strawberries, in season in April: strawberry jam.

~ Book: Celebrate, a year of British festivities for family and friends, by Pippa Middleton.

~Dream home: Alaina Kaczmarski’s Chicago Apartment Tour.

~ Organize: simplified closet.

~ Magazine: Delightedmag, spring issue.

~ Outfit: Duck paddle, by classy girls.

~ Fitness: New workout!!! The way we tone.

~ List love: 100 Ways to Have More Romance in Your Life.

~ Blog love: Elephantine

Many kisses, love you all,
xoxo Elena