Hello my friends! I won't apologize for being absent so long, because I have no excuses, except my indecisiveness and my everyday life requirements. The ironic part of my today's post is that it's all about decisions…..(…and how an indecisive person like me is going to perform them and keep its promises…)!!!
For some people New Year's Day is a perfect point to make their annual resolutions and start fresh after raising their champagne glasses, for students, September works best, as they reconsider their dreams and purposes while preparing their school bag and for some others birthday is a day of major life reviews and schedules….All three cases are tempting, the time and the moment is just a matter of mood. I didn't make any resolutions on 1st January, I'm not a student any more, although education and culture is a lifelong process, so, on my birthday month, March, I decided to sit and think some things that I want to do in my life. 
Things that seem important right now in my life, things I absolutely need and want with all my heart, not necessarily the ones that a rational mind dictates as vital priorities, but the ones that my heart seeks desperately. In other words, not the things that I must do, but the things that I want to do. Because sometimes heart knows better... Especially in periods of big confusions in my life, I believe that listening to my heart is the only way to go. 
So I decided to make a list of my top 10 life priorities for this year of my life. What I believe that will be beneficial for me and will bring more joy and health and luck to my life! I put things from the past in my list that I've tried some time in my life and enjoyed and want to repeat, as well as things absolutely new to me, that I've always been so keen on trying and never had the opportunity to do them. I've also put some dreams in my list, because life is not beautiful without them!
And voila! Here is my list:
      

Be bolder and try new things, be fearless and do the ones that I'm afraid to do. Live more moments with people I love, discover new people, give and take, teach and learn, create my own experiences and memories, because this is life, because:   

My house is a never ending process! I've done pretty much in terms of decoration with it, what I want to achieve from now on is creating a homely, welcoming, cozy environment, easy to live in. A place where I 'll want to come back to, to feel comfortable and happy and always ready to welcome beloved people. A place to live! 

OK! I may dream of Carrie Bradshaw's glamorous closet in "Sex and the City", or those amazing Pinterest perfect closets on internet, but what I really want for my closet is functionality and inspiration. Decluttering a bit and reorganizing my clothes would be nice. And I really need to buy a few new items. A style renewal is an absolute necessity for me right now! You cannot carry the same style your whole life through! I want to open my closet and find quickly the right clothes for any occasion, without losing time thinking and trying on clothes again and again, because they don't fit or because I don't like them. I only want beautiful clothes in my closet, that fit me well and make me feel confident and elegant. I want my closet to be a partner in my life adventure! 

Work on a creative project, something that I love and I believe in. Even if it's not something big, creativity enhances confident and self respect, also cultivates qualities as patience, discipline, diligence and is a great exercise for the brain. Moreover…. you never know….

Laugh! It's yoga for the face, medicine for the soul (releases endorphins, the "happiness" hormones), exercise for the abdominals, special treat for the heart! Laugh. laugh and laugh some more! Laugh with every given opportunity, whenever and wherever I can. Comedies could be a nice solution. I really miss good laughs in my life lately. A priority!  

I took ballet classes as a little girl and then again while I was in the university. It takes much effort and discipline to reach a good level in ballet and that was the reason why I abandoned it. "If you can't reach perfection, why bother?" Well, I never stopped loving ballet and definitely had an inclination and I believe that performing some ballet exercises…. or pocisions… will have major benefits for my body.   

OK! That's a tough one and I'm not sure what exactly I want to do with a piano. But it is a childhood dream I never even tried it. I wanted to learn playing, but my father was negative, so I compromised with a guitar, which I never really loved… I mean, when you love the piano you have to play the piano, not the quitar! It doesn't work this way. When it comes to piano… there is no substitute! So, we'll see… But, definitely hear more piano music, a treat for the soul and the mind.

Because it's the most beautiful language in the world to talk and to hear...

Another activity I miss a lot lately. And the more I miss it the more I want to go away from everything and everyone! To get lost among unknown crowds, to breathe free, to see new places and faces, to meet different cultures, to taste different tastes and flavors, to live a different kind of life for a while. A real rejuvenation for the body and the soul, a "shower" for the mind, so that I can start fresh when I come back to the same everyday life... 

An alternative way to escape from reality and live another life for a while is reading. You travel to different places, different ages and situations, you become whoever you can imagine and you live your own adventure, or simply watch other people's adventures and lifes, you cry, you laugh, you love, you hate, you feel happy, or sad, you dream, you learn… and all that using your mind only! I don't read as much as I'd like to, although I buy books and always begin one with a willing mood, I often catch myself giving up after a few chapters…. Maybe they're not interesting enough, maybe I can't find the time…. or maybe I'm just bored. Whatever, I'll try to "feed" my brain with more and good quality "food".

So, this is my top 10 life priorities list for this year of my life! Oh! And another priority! An urgent one: 
To accomplish my decisions and keep my promises as long as they are functional and fulfilling and they make me happy!!!  
I mean there is no reason to carry on something that doesn't work anymore for some reason. Flexibility is the key when everything is falling apart. I'll keep my mind open and hope for the best!
I hope you enjoyed my list and maybe even got some inspiration to make your very own one, if you haven't already decided what to do with your life in 2015!
Love you all,
xoxo, Elena  

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

It's that time again! 29 days till Christmas! Less than a month and jingle bells start to jingle in our heads! That sweet jingle bell alarm!
Windows at the shops never look as glamorous as around Christmas time, colorful lights are everywhere, festive decorations begin in our homes and food preparations in the kitchens… or at least plan to begin… It's that time again!
I belong to the group of people with "great expectations" for the festive period, the people that are never satisfied with any result.
However, through the years I've learned one thing: "Done is better than perfect"! So true! Actually the only truth.
Big helpers in this trial are the Christmas planners. Searching for Christmas planners in the internet you'll find a great variety of cute and useful ones you'll really love! Personally, they help me focus on some practical issues that matter more or less, such as cards, gifts and wishing lists, decorations ideas and menu planning. More extended versions include pages about old and new traditions, favorite Christmas songs and movies and stories or travel plans for the holidays….. and the list goes on. But I try to keep it simple… at least this year.

A new Christmas planner that I discovered just yesterday is the "2014 Christmas Planner", by Woodberry Designs available for both free download and buying options. Vintage and so lovely, I adored it and had to show you. Really worth the visit to this beautiful blog, you'll discover much more than this adorable planner such as the amazing "Simply Shabbilicious" magazine.

The Christmas Planner I purchased for myself is a long time ago find and I discovered it at Busy b store. It comes from the "Oh so clever" range and lasts up to five years! It's simple and classy with a fresh twist and I absolutely love it! I can't wait to use it, or should I already had started to?… Perfectionism, perfectionism….. go away and let the action begin!

In my Christmas page you can find more lovely and free downloadable planners as well as many, many other ideas for a more festive and joyful Christmas period.
So, let's the Christmas begin! Lights aaaaand…. action!
See you soon,
xoxo, Elena

Hello everyone! I know it's been a quiet long time since my last post, but I really need this extra time to organize and present my posts in a proper way that makes me feel complete and satisfied... if that is ever possible!
Today's post is another mama Kat's idea that I truly enjoyed very, very much and I didn't want to miss it in no way! You see, there are a few things that recently came into my life and which I totally felt in love with at once! Five of them I'm going to share with you and they happen to be my most favorite things right now!

The reason I love these items, besides they're obviously extremely beautiful and functional (...and someone is extremely snobbish around here...) is that I wanted and searched for these beauties long ago. So, the last one or two months, somewhen around Christmas time and under the influence of the  famous "Christmas spirit ", I just got out there and did my absolutely necessary moodlifting shopping therapy!! Hello, I'm Helen and I'm feeling great!!

Well, here's my list of five currently obsessions:

I've been using mini and pocket filofax organizers since I was at the university, almost twenty years now and I was more than pleased. I'm generally obsessed with organizers in any form, style or color and, without exaggerating, I could gladly purchase dozens of them! There are so many glamorous organizers out there in the recent years, that's really difficult not to be tempted!
But I chose to be practical and logic: filofax was tried and tested through years, has a very wide collection of calendars, papers and other goodies which can be replaced every year (so, you don't have to buy a whole new organizer every now and then), also has a great quality of products and they're all so beautiful! So, my decision was filofax again, only this time I would choose a bigger size, because I love writing and I need space to do it. A4 was very big, personal size is very practical if you want to carry it with you, but not big enough for my needs, so A5 was the right one for me. As for the colour and type, I loved the purple leather finsbury among other gorgeous ones, so that's my bright an new 2014 filofax organizer ! Love it!

O.K! I wasn't actually sure wether I needed a tablet or not, at least not yet. However, I flirted with the idea I could hold such a small and light piece of technology wherever and whenever I wanted to... at the sofa, in my bed, in my handbag, in a waiting room, in the car, on my kitchen counter... still I wasn't so sure. My laptop suffices most of my computing needs and I didn't want to become one of these persons who depend themselves from a computer, as an extension of their own hand...
And then Samsung note caught my eye. Well, that one is not just another tablet! It is a piece of art! It has a pen to touch the screen and write, makes the most wonderful zen nature sounds a stressfull person like me seeks, it can be the perfect calendar and organizer (here's my second one...), it has a HD camera for great shots and videos, it can be your bookcase and your newsstand, your navigation system in a strange place.... and has plenty of other seductive applications to use. But, what really thrilled me is its use as a scetchbook! You can draw whatever you want with this cute magic little pen and let Picasso to come out of inside you.... You can even draw your own photographs, cultivate your talent... and impress everyone! How cool is that??
So, I put aside any doubts about tablets and ordered this beautie. I didn't want to miss it by no means! And I did not regret a penny! I'm sooo delighted!

Only God (and my husband) knows how looong I earnestly desired this kind of vintage sugar white Delonghi kettle! Since it was released, a few years ago, maybe? I loved it at first sight (the whole collection - kettle, toaster and espresso machine - is lovely actually, in every color), but I believed I didn't need a kettle in my house since I could boil the water in any other kitchenware and the kettle would only took up space on my counter....
My advice? Never resist a love at first sight! It will appear into your life sooner or later! I deeply knew I would possess this so very retro piece in my kitchen one day. I was sure, it was mine. And I brought it home this Christmas. Honestly, I don't understand how I lived without it! It's been my right hand in the kitchen and not only! I now have boiled water whenever I need it in just a few minutes and it remains hot long enough, if I want to use it later. No more saucepans using for boiling water, not any more! Technology from the past found its way to my home, at last! She looks sooo beautiful on my counter right now!

The nighstand lamp is another long story. As a matter of fact, you need a cup of coffee to read this post  to its end.. (and I needed a few more -teas actually- to complete its writing...)!
The truth is I was dreaming of a glass ball nightstand lamp my entire life (and I guess I'm going to have it some day..), but I couldn't find the perfect one for my nightstands. I wanted it with a glass (not metallic) base, not too high and wide, not too small either, with a beautiful lampshade... anyway, in another life maybe! Or, maybe, when I also have the nightstands of my dreams, mirrored, vintage and very, very feminine... So, the glass lamps may wait for the perfect much to find their way to my home, too!
Until that time comes, I really needed two lamps for my bedroom. We had the lykta ikea lamps for many years and we were pretty satisfied with their lighting, but one of them broke while we were moving (totally we broke about two or three  of them, easily broken....) and only one remained, so instead of buying another lykta lamp, which would probably be broken within the year as well, I decided to buy the arstid table lamps from ikea, too. 
The arstid lamp was a piece I always admired for its elegance and simplicity, not to mention it is a real value for money purchase, as many ikea products. I'm very proud and happy to have this lamp in my bedroom! It makes a very relaxing, soft lighting which is exactly what I want in the bedroom, providing enough light to read, get dressed, even do your make up, at the same time! It is not a "dark" bedroom lamp, it is light and tender, feathery let me say! Alright, I'm thrilled with this lamp , I have to admit it and I can't imagine I would have missed it, if I bought the glass lamp on the first place! This ikea lamp definitely deserved the opportunity to live into my house! Love, love, love!!!

I've been seeing this inaccessible and so desirable Missoni scarf in the mall, at the accessories department for months. It stood apart from others! Its colors are so amazing and so my match! Its design so unique and chic! It suits with so many clothes, colors and styles putting an unforgettable signature in any outfit!
But it was really expensive for a scarf! During the sales its price dropped to 50% off(!!!), which made it a bit more accessible, but still highly priced... On second thought, it was a MISSONI... difficult to pass by... it instantly upgrades anything you wear!
So I returned!
It was still  hanging there.
I took it without ... third thought!
I just grabbed it and run to the cashier...
My first Missoni piece of clothe is now hanging from my wardrobe's doorknob!
It's mine and I can't get enough of seeing it!

Well, these were five of my most favorite things at the moment and their history. I love everyone of them, because it came into my life for a special reason and all of them for making my everyday life more beautiful and happy and less miserable.  

Shopping therapy may be a little underestimated in recent years, but the truth is that new things, especially things we want and love so much, smaller or bigger, it doesn't really matter, bring joy in our lives and renewal and we all need that, from time to time, don't you agree?

Thank you so much for reading,
Love you all,
xoxo Elena

Written as part of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

• POP pilates: upper body workout -arms, chest and shoulders!
• plank workout for flat abs and toned arms!
• 8 minute abs
• POP pilates : muffin top meltdown
• Abs all night challenge

Have a beautiful, summer weekend...
Love you all
xoxo, Elena

Have a very beautiful Thursday!
Thanks for reading,
love you
xoxo,Elena

Wish you a great Wednesday!
Love you
xoxo, Elena

Have a beautiful Tuesday!
Thanks for reading,
love you,
xoxo, Elena

I wish you all a wonderful week!
Love you
xoxo, Elena

Wish you all a great weekend!
Love you,
xoxo, Elena