To You

Posted in In your 40s, Travelling by Joanna Malefaki

I heard about Brussels and I worried. We haven’t spoken in ages, but I still think of you and you do put a smile on my face.

Funny thing about meeting people online. Don’t get me wrong, I am not talking about online dating. I am talking about chatting online. That’s how I met X. On a warm summer night. I was in Crete and X was in Africa for work. We started talking. “I’m from Belgium” X said. “Where’s Belgium?” I asked. Get a map! It’s only like the capital of Europe!” We started talking about our life, our favourite things, music, food everything. Then, it was time to stop talking and we said if we meet again here, it will be out of chance. And we did. And chatted again for hours. “We have a connection” X said. ” Nah. We just have the same interests. That’s not a connection”.

X believed in soul mates and connections. The cynic in me doesn’t believe in that stuff. Maybe cause I haven’t met the ‘one’. The thing about talking online is that if you have a strong pen, you get caught up in bubbles and pink little clouds. because you are not face to face with someone but looking at a screen, you talk about your inner thoughts. You are under the assumption that the other person is as well. This went on for ages. Months. X was in a bad place and I was trying to be a friend. Now that I am writing about this, I do wonder. My gosh the hours I spent online. The things we talked about.

I would meet men in my real life and wonder ” Why is this dude so boring? Why can’t we have conversations like I do with X?”.

I am a sucker for words I guess. Woo me with your talk. Talk to me about music. Make me think…

We spent loads of time sending each other music. That’s the other thing. When you chat with someone and then you start sending music, your “fairy-tale” has a sound track. Ours was this one.

I then found out I was going to be working in England and the cheapest flight from Athens had a stop at the Brussels airport. Com’on?! I said” I will be in Brussels for 2 hours. Do you want to meet?”. X came to the airport and we had one of those movie moments at arrivals. You know the one where you are looking for someone and you cannot find them? You are looking in the wrong direction and someone calls your name and you turn? That’s what happened. X said, ” Joanna?”. I turned. I saw X. We went for… water at the Starbucks airport. We laughed, had fun. It was like two friends meeting. Then it was time for me to catch the plane and go to the UK. We said “goodbye” and had one of those awkward moments when you try to kiss someone on the cheek but you both aim at the same side. Yeah.

There were lots of talks after that. Another meeting for some hours. Nothing happened. This went on for 3 years.Messages, chatting. “You have had an impact on me” X said. Then it just went away. Life happens.

Looking at what happened in Brussels last week made me think of X. I hope you are OK.

24Mar2016

Burberry makeup mini haul & review

Posted in Beauty, Hauls, In your 40s by Joanna Malefaki

Last week I was in Athens (Greece) and I went to this big department store called Attica. I just wanted to have a look around, but then I spotted the Burberry Makeup Counter and little love hearts started flying out of my eyes. I had heard so much about their makeup line but I had never seen it in person, let alone buy something!

I went closer to the counter and saw the Burberry Makeup artist ( Vasilios Gelis). I said, ” Oh! You have Burberry here? How cool! I want to try something”. He said, ” How about something for your brows?” Of course!! My brows needed some serious attention! I was excited. I was going to get my brows drawn on by the Burberry makeup artist.

Burberry

I sat on the stool and he chose my colour. You see, I am colourblind and always rely on what the makeup artists say. He told me he wanted something close to my eye brow colour (to match my hair), so he chose the Effortless Eyebrow Definer in the colour Ash Brown No.03

My brows were not in the best condition. I had slathered a different product on (review for that coming soon) and they looked crazy. Vasilios (that’s the name of the makeup artist), took that off and started working on drawing in missing hairs and giving shape to my brows

Vasilios’ words of wisdom,

You need to brush the hair close to your eyes upwards, and start drawing what’s missing (my right brow is shorter than my left one, so he had to draw it in). Then you brush them again to take away excess product. You then need to define your brows and fill in the missing hair in the rest of your brow (brush hairs downwards and then start filling). It’s important to have a curve on your brow line. Always remember to brush your brows to take any excess product.

I then said what about my eyes? Do you have any kind of shadows in a stick? He chose the Eye Colour Contour in the shade Rose Wood No.112.

Vasilios’ Tips

Your eyes are close together, but you have a lot of space in the eye lid area and you need to take advantage of that. You can use shadow even a bit further above your eye crease. You can use a light shadow on more than half of your eye lid and then use the eye colour contour at the end. Draw a (sideways) triangle (with curves). Don’t forget! It is important to blend the eye contour straight away and not at the end!

I had so much fun. He also suggested I try using the products myself with his guidance, but I got cold feet. Women were passing by and they commented on how lovely my makeup looked.

Vasilios also gave me a free lipstick sample in the colour Military Red N0.429. It looks really nice. I ❤ my reds, so cannot wait to wear that!

I had so much fun. I don’t know if this was so enjoyable because Burberry trains their makeup artists this way, so that you, the customer, feel like a million bucks or if it was just Vasilios ( I had never met him before. This is not a sponsored post!). I think it’s both!

burberry 1

Duration of products

Both products lasted all day long. I went for lunch and then to the airport. I was in and out of the tube. I was in a rush, even got sweaty, but my makeup lasted!! I suggest you check out these products the next time you are in a store that sells Burberry cosmetics.

B PIN.jpg

If you come to Athens, definitely stop by the Burberry counter and get tips from Vasilios.

Have you tried these products? Do you have any other Burberry cosmetics suggestions I can try out? Feel free to leave a comment in the section below.

Subscribe to my blog if you liked what you read. I blog about life, beauty, planning, makeup, and all the stuff that make life beautiful. Maybe give my Facebook page a ‘like’ so you can get notifications of when I post? Connect with me on Pinterest / Twitter/ Instagram (cause as you can see, my pics are fantastic!). Please ‘pin’ this post if you enjoyed it.

Thanks for stopping by.

xxx

20Mar2016

The Beauty Confessions Tag

Posted in Beauty, In your 40s, Thoughts by Joanna Malefaki

Hi guys!

Today’s post is a tag. Yay. My first tag. So, Jessica from Ms. Adventures in Makeup tagged me in the #beautyconfessions tag and well, since I love makeup and all things beauty, here is my post. I have also tagged lovely bloggers at the end of my post.

So without further ado may the beauty confessions begin………

1). What is your biggest beauty product addiction (lippies, blushes, highlighter, bronzer, mascara etc.)?

Hmm. When I first saw this question I thought, ” Perfume” ,but when I looked at my vanity everything changed. My beauty addiction is……..lippies. I have loads!!

2). How many products from your addiction do you have?

Hang on! Let me go and count them :). Also, does lip gloss fall in this category? OK! So, I have about 40. Can I say, “I need them for my work/ blogging ?” :p

3). What is one type of beauty product you hate (highlighters, hairspray etc.)?

I don’t hate per se, but I cannot put on fake lashes for the life of me 😦 . I wish I could. Also, the fact that my vision is so bad makes falsies even harder so I do not do false lashes.

4). What has been your biggest challenge in beauty (e.g. a technique you learned or leaving a beauty comfort zone)?

Here is something interesting. I am colourblind. Everything in beauty is a challenge. I never know what colour a product is and it is so hard!! Nail polish is the hardest I guess.

5). What is one beauty comfort zone you don’t ever think you’ll leave?

Applying powder after I apply my foundation. I think it lasts longer and helps my makeup sit properly.

6). What is one beauty thing you suck at (e.g. eyeliner like cat eye or taking your makeup off at the end of the day etc.)?

Eyeliner. I just get the line wrong, so I don’t wear eyeliner anymore. Not taking off my makeup at night? That’s a no no. I have neva, eva slept in makeup!!

7). What is one thing in beauty that you don’t understand the hype (technique, trend etc.)?

OK, so self tanning. Don’t get it. Don’t do it! Sorry girls! I think this one is because I am in Crete, Greece and well, I don’t need to self tan!!!

Cartoon Pin.jpg

You’ve been tagged

I am tagging some lovely bloggers and I am really looking forward to reading your posts.

Tania from When Tania Talks

Claire from Pink Chick Claire

Chloe from Chloehxx

Rebecca from Satic Nova

Rachel from Rachel’s Beauty blog

Alex from the Lipstick Lady Blog

A.K. Jones Hooked on the Music

Vivi from Style Cite

Rebecca from That So Bee

Hannah from Hannah Rose

Tamzin from Through New Eyes

Hannah from Hannah Louise Blogs

Katie from Country Katie UK

Emily from Miss Beauty Emily

Looking forward to your posts girls!

The Beauty Confessions Tag was created by Cassie Hampson,

OK! Time to beg for subscribers 😀 .Please do subscribe to my blog if you liked what you read. I blog about life, beauty, planning, makeup, and all the stuff that make life beautiful. Maybe give my Facebook page a ‘like’ so you can get notifications of when I post :)? Connect with me on Pinterest / Twitter/ Instagram (cause as you can see, my pics are fantastic!). Please ‘pin’ this post if you enjoyed it.

❤ ❤ Thanks for stopping by!

xox

Jo

19Mar2016

City break:36 hours in Athens (girlie version)

Posted in Beauty, In your 40s, Thoughts, Travelling by Joanna Malefaki

Hi guys!

On Thursday the 17th of March I flew to Athens (Greece) cause I had some things to do and I decided to take you along and show you what I was up to. My 36 hours will be a bit different to what the typical tourist does cause, well, I have been to all the tourist attractions in Athens and I lived there for 5 years. My post will be a bit of a strolling, shopping, and coffee/food :). No museums, no galleries and no ruins (although you really have to do all those first and add some of the stuff I did).So, lets walk around Athens girlie style!

❤ Day 1

I had to get up early cause my flight was at 6:45 and boarding time was 6:15. This meant that I got up at 4:45! Yeap! I was sleep walking. I was travelling with my sister. We got the plane to Athens and landed at around 7:30. It was too early to go to the hotel, so we decided to have some coffee and a toasted sandwich at Gregory’s in the airport. Gregory’s is a famous chain that has lots of sandwiches, pies and loads of coffees.

We then took the bus (line X95) to Ambelokipi which is central Athens. We were going to stay at the President hotel. We paid 97 euros for a double room (breakfast included). We were on the 15th floor.

I had not booked anything online, so this was the price we paid upon arrival (Booking.com was giving the room much cheaper, and when I told the receptionist she said that the hotel had lots of arrivals which was why the price went up). Anyways, not complaining about the price cause the hotel was worth it!!

Cafe

obby

Twi room

Bathroom

View from 15th floor

We freshened up and then got a taxi to the center. You see if you take the metro (which is a 10 min walk from the hotel) it costs about 4 euro and a taxi ranges from 5-7. We were both beat and old :p , so we opted for the taxi!! Tip: Taxis parked outside the hotel are more expensive than just waving one from the street.

Our first stop was Ermou street which is at Syntagma square. That’s one of the central shopping areas in central Athens. Is it the most glamorous? No. But, it is outside and had some of the shops we really wantedto go to. I like Ermou. We went to M &S, H&M, Zara, MAC, and lots more. We had some coffee at a coffee shop and then did a bit more shopping.

We then went for lunch at a coffee bar/restaurant. It belongs to Elli hotel which is on Ermou street. I had some really yummy ravioli and coffee.

After that we went back to our hotel cause we had an appointment. We relaxed a bit and then went to Syntagma square again, this time for dinner at a Chinese restaurant called Attic Moon at Xenofontos 10. We had a yummy meal and then went back to the hotel and slept (you can check all the restaurants and hotels out on tripadvisor as well).

Kineziko

❤ Day 2

We had a yummy breakfast, packed, and then left our luggage at the hotel reception. Again, took a taxi to Syntagma square and went to this big store called Public. You can find books, toys and anything tech related there. I got a book, my sister got some toys for my niece. If you are in the area, I definitely recommend going to the Grand Brittania for coffee or tea (luxury ❤ ❤ ).

The Greek Parliament

Hotel Grand Brittania

We then left to stroll down Panepistimiou street which is one of my favourite streets.

Attica department store

Panepistimio

Ofthalmiatrio

Panepistimiou

Of course I did some damage in Attica department store (just a bit). Highlight of Attica was of course shoping at the Burberry counter where the Burberry makeup artist (Vasilios Gelis) showed me how to do my brows and was really really helpful (<3 <3). I felt like a doll after leaving Attica!! Full post coming soon cause I bought a few things from Burberry and learnt loads fromtheir makeup artist!!!

We then went for coffee at City link (behind the Attica). This is an ‘in’ place with some coffee shops and restaurants.

Coffee

City Link

At around 5:30 p.m. it was time to go, so we went back to our hotel. We took our suitcases and then got the metro to te airport. It took about 40 minutes from our hotel.

We left Athens at 9 p.m. and now I am back on my little island :). So there you have it guys.

Have you ever been to Athens? Are you thinking of visiting? Feel free to comment below.

OK! Time to beg for subscribers 😀 Please do subscribe to my blog if you liked what you read. I blog about life, beauty, planning makeup and all the stuff that make life beautiful. Maybe give my Facebook page a ‘like’ so you can get notifications of when I post :D? Connect with me on Pinterest / Twitter/ Instagram (cause as you can see, my pics are fantastic!). Please ‘pin’ this post if you enjoyed it.

Thanks for stopping by!

xox

Jo

13Mar2016

Makeup Haul & 1st Impressions

Posted in Beauty, Hauls, In your 40s by Joanna Malefaki

So, today I am sharing a haul and a few first impressions with you guys. I have accumulated a few products and thought it was about time I shared what I got the past few months. Products are high-end and drugstore.

❤ Highlighters: Essence / H & M

I got two highlighters. One is from the brand Essence. It is called Soo glow cream to powder highlighter. I got it in the shade 10 (yellow undertone). I bought it cause well YouTube made me do it.

1st impressions: It does feel like a cream in the package, but when you apply it on your skin, it feels like a powder. It is easy to blend. It is glowy and from a distance you do not really see the glitter (subtle but there). There is no mirror in the compact.

I also got a new arrival from the H&M makeup line. This is called Glow to Go Highlighter stick in the shade Champagne pearl. This is a limited edition. It contains shea butter and Vitamin E.

1st impressions: When I opened it and tried to see the product it flew out of the packaging. Luckily nothing happened to the highlighter. It look beautiful on my hand. Haven’t worn it out yet! I don’t think I will be applying it as a stick though cause the stick is quite chunky.

Essence on the left/ H&M on the right

❤ Foundation: L’oreal

I repurchased the Infallible 24H-Matte foundation. It has medium coverage, feels nice on the skin and is long-lasting. I really liked this and that’s why this is a repurchase.

I also bought the L’oreal Nude Magic Cushion. Unfortunately, I do not like it. It has almost no coverage and looks shiny (in the bad way). My skin is combination and I have been told that this ‘cushion’ is better for dry skin. I was also told to apply it with a beauty blender and try to use some powder as well. So, I will give it another shot. Why will I give it another shot? Cause I like the packaging, the idea and I love L’oreal products. I will be back with a full review later on this month.

❤ Estee Lauder

I got the Pure color Envy lip gloss in the shade 240 Passionate Fuschia. I love the colour, it lasts for a while, but it is a bit sticky (it’s glossy, so a bit sticky). I love, love this one.

According to Estee Lauder’s website,

Now you have hours to glow. This luminous, long-wear BB brightens, perfects and corrects. Lightweight, moisture-fresh. Long-wear formula—8 hours.

Photo Optic™ Technology brightens shadows, helps erase the look of fatigue, highlights facial features. Color true.

Minimizes imperfections including blemishes, dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles. Non-settling.

I will test it and let you know.

❤ Eyeshadow

This is a Greek brand called Tommy G Woman. It is a shiny pink.

Swatches

From left to right: Eyeshadow, lip gloss, concealer (not blended)

❤ Makeup Forever

I got the Makeup Forever Mist & Fix Makeup setting spray. Haven’t tried it yet. Will be back with a review on this one.

❤ Clinique

I got the Clinique Take the Day Off cleansing balm. I wanted to try this product and see what it’s like. Haven’t tried it yet. Will be back with a review later on.

❤ Caudalie

I got the Caudalie Instant foaming Cleanser. I love this cleanser. This is a repurchase. It is such a gently foam that has a subtle scent. I use it every morning to wash my face. Love, love, love.

Haul Pin.jpg

Have you tried any of these products? Any thoughts? Feel free to leave a comment in the comments section.

Thanks for stopping by

xox

Jo

5Mar2016

February favourites

Posted in Beauty, Books, In your 40s, Monthly favourites by Joanna Malefaki

Hi everyone! Time for monthly favourites. My favourites are a bit different. I have lots of beauty and lots of other random stuff like fonts and educational courses! So, here goes!!

🌹🌹Beauty🌹🌹

🌹 VIP Rose

I love all rose scented perfumes. I thought I’d give VIP Rose (Carolina Herrera) a try. I love it cause it doesn’t smell of rose, but more of a powder with a rose scent. Long lasting perfume. You can get it here.

🌹Eyeshadow pencil

I got this Lancome Ombre Hypnose Stylo in the colour 05 Erika F. It is easy to apply and it lasts long.

🌹Twist lipstick

I really like my Korres Twist lipstick in the colour Raspberry. It is very nourishing and buttery. It has a shiny finish and it is great for everyday.

kor

Swatches from the lipstick and the eyeshadow

🌹Mascara

I am really enjoying my Kiko mascara (Extra sculpt waterproof mascara). It makes my lashes look fuller. It did take me a while to get used to the huge wand though!

🌹Clutch bag

My friend got me this bag for my birthday. It is from the brand Coccinelle. So beautiful.

bag

🌹Foundation

The one, the only Estee Lauder Double wear. I swear by it. The only thing I hate is the packaging. It makes your skin look flawless. It has great coverage and stays put forever. I just, love, love, love.

Double Wear

🌹🌹Other stuff🌹🌹

🌹Free fonts

If you are a blogger, you like scrapbooking or need new fonts for your Microsoft word, then you need to check out this website that has loads of free fonts (girlie).

🌹My planner

I have written a zillion posts about this (well OK, maybe less than a zillion). I love my Webster’s pages colour crush planner. *You can get an A5 planner ( a bit bigger than mine) here.

CC pic

🌹Coffee table book

One of my all time favourites: The wizard of Oz. This book is so pretty. It looks great on my coffee table and I love flipping through it. It has glitter on it and the pictures move (scanimation). I got mine from the Tate Modern in London. *You can get it here.

🌹Coursera

If you are looking for courses to do, you can check out Coursera. It offers lots offers loads of MOOCs (massive online courses) from Top Universities from around the world, so if you have time on your hands and want to develop and learn. Go for it. Click here for more info.

🌹Ted talk

I found this TEd talk very interesting.

So, that’s all for the month of February. What are you favourites?Please do subscribe to my blog if you liked what you read. I blog about life, beauty, planning makeup and all the stuff that make life beautiful. Maybe give my Facebook page a ‘like’ so you can get notifications of when I post :D? Connect with me on Pinterest / Twitter/ Instagram. Please ‘pin’ this post if you enjoyed it.

PicMonkey Collage.jpg

Thanks for stopping by!!

The links for products in the post are amazon links. This does not mean you pay extra. It just means I make a small comission off your pruchase.

19Feb2016

Niche or no niche? A blogger in distress

Posted in Blogging, In your 40s, Thoughts by Joanna Malefaki

When someone starts blogging one of the first decisions they are called to make has to do with whether their blog is going to have a niche, a specialisation. In an age where being a specialist in something is almost an essential, will a more general blog be successful? I’m here today with a post more about my thoughts regarding what is proper, what is kinda expected when blogging. Most people say that you should have a niche, you should be known for something. That is why readers will come to your blog.

How limiting is that though? I mean, have you heard the expression”one trick pony?” That’s what a niche means to me. If my blog is my creative outlet, why should I confine it? Why should I write about one thing? But if my blog is all over the place, will anyone want to read it?

I don’t like the word niche. I like experiencing stuff. I like exploring. Niche means giving me a label. I have lots of interests. Many things make me happy and I want to share. I like makeup, beauty, travelling, books, wondering about my crap! I am not a niche blogger nor will I be a brand (that’s for sure).

Funnily enough, I do need to say that I have a niche blog, don’t get me wrong. My first blog is my niche blog. I am an educational blogger.I have been for the past 3 years. I write about teaching. Lots of my posts have to do with teaching English for specific purposes like business or academic English, but, after having a niche blog. I realised I don’t want to just be a niche blogger. Blogging, in my mind, is a way for me to express myself. If I just blog about teaching, I do not express myself. I share one itsy bitsy aspect of myself.

You may ask, ” Eh! Who cares about you though? Like , who are you woman anyway?”

Another thing that makes me wonder though is if I am going about this blogging thing the wrong way. How do people get 100.000 page views in a day. What do they write about? How do readers come across their posts? Are they niche bloggers?

Don’t they get bored? I did. I love teaching, I enjoyed sharing my teaching experiences, but it wasn’t enough for me. I have more to say. Dunno how many people are really interested in what I have to say, but I do have more.

Does me not wanting to have a niche make me an amateur? A joke? I guess it all comes down to why I blog. Can my niche be wanting to write? That sure sounds like a funny niche.

I was told once that I have a lovely pen. I don’t want my pen to be just blue. I want my pen to be like those gadget-y ones. The one you pull down this little trigger and the ink changes. It becomes red, blue, green, black…..

Niche pin.jpg

Where is this all coming from? Just the fact that at 40, I still dunno what I want. What I like. What to focus on. This is reflected here on my platform.

I struggle. What do you think? For me, no niche.

xox

Joanna

6Feb2016

January favourites: beauty and a whole lot of randoms

Posted in Books, In your 40s, Monthly favourites by Joanna Malefaki

I know I have said that I will be writing posts about all the things I love and I will call these posts #Feb ❤ s. Today’s post is a more collective #Feb ❤ post. I will tell you about lots of stuff I love using, reading, listening to this month. There is a lot of randomness in today’s post, so here goes my first #monthlyfavourites post.

I use amazon affiliate links

❤ Chanel Mademoiselle

This is my all time favourite going out perfume. I spray it in the air and walk into the mist. It is long-lasting and smells so nice. A sophisticated oriental smell. You really need to check it out next time you are at Sephora.

chanel

❤ Hand Cream

I love the Soap and Glory Hand food cream. It is very moisturising and smells so fresh. My student loved it so much when I put it on my hands that she asked if I could give it to her and I did. It’s amazing.

❤ Lip stick

I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of the H & M lipsticks. They feel fine on the lips and they are long-lasting. I have been wearing three shades for some weeks now. I really like Fancy Freesia which is a hot pink, Ablaze which is a beautiful orange-red ( I have got loads of complies for this one) and Seashell which is a nude shade.

❤ Castor Oil

I got this from the pharmacy. I put it on my eyebrows before I go to bed. Castor Oil is what my beautician suggested I use to thicken the sparse hair on my eyebrows. It is a very thick fluid with an odour that is… eh… OK- ish. I have not seen any changes yet, but I will keep you updated (haven’t been using it for that long).

❤ Brush

I use this tiny blending brush to apply my eyeshadow. It is from H & M and it is the small shading brush. I love it cause I am a bit clumsy with my eye makeup. When I use this, I get to control the amount of eye shadow I use. I have already stocked up on this one.

❤ Nails

I really loved my O-P-I nail polish. I wore it throughout the holidays and after. It’s from the range Infinite shine and it’s the colour Relentless Ruby.

I have also been using the Sally Hansen Miracle Cure Nail Strengthener. Yes, my nails are stronger. This one does work and this coming from someone with very frail nails! This is a must for anyone who is looking to get stronger nails. *You can get it here. The Sally Hansen Insta Dri is my best ever top coat. I love it. I am never going to change it. It dries so quickly!!

❤ Mirror

I can’t see well so applying makeup can be quite difficult. I finally decided I needed a magnifying mirror. I go one. My life is much easier now. Of course, I get to see every little ugly spot etc. etc., but I in this phrase the key word is I get to see……

❤ Book

The company I work for sent me this book and I loved it. I mean it makes me want to do things, be productive, look closely at my work/life and make lists. Seriously, if you struggle with productivity, you need to read this book. It is very small and talks about 50 models for strategic thinking. At the end of the book, there are pages where you can practice the models! I read it in one day! So, what’s this book called already?

It’s the Decision book: Fifty models for strategic thinking by Krogerus and Tschappeler. My favourite acronym from the unit about pursuing goals and distinguishing between final goals and performance goals is this one,

KISS: Keep it simple, Stupid

(Krogerus and Tschappeler, 2011)

meaning (to me) keep your goals simple and achievable.

*You can get it here.

❤ Gadget

I used this book light while I was reading my book. I have very poor eyesight and this is a good gadget to use. I clip it on the book and the light falls on the page I am reading. What’s more, the packaging had the colour of the product (pink) which is why I couldn’t resist getting this brand. Anyone who makes it easier for colour blind people like me to shop is really appreciated. The brand is called Tiny. *You can find it here.

❤ Articles

I read two articles online and I want to share them with you.

Migrant Crisis: Greek Islanders welcome Nobel nomination.

Greece has played a pivotal role in the rescue process of the Syrian refugees. Every day thousands of refugees, in their struggle to get a better life, end up on the shores of a Greek island. This has been very difficult but also rewarding for the Greek islanders on the islands of Kos and Lesvos and these islanders have been nominated for the Nobel Prize. This article was one of my favourites this month. You can read the BBC article here.

The article that I read and thought, “OMFreakinG” was about the picture of a potato and how much it sold for. My students loved this one. You can read that article here (please sit down before you do :p).

❤ Song

I listen to Selena Gomez when I blog. It just helps me chill. One of my favourites is “Come and Get it”.

❤ TV show

Suits is back on. Wohooo!

So, there you have it. My January favourites. I have never written one of these posts, so any feedback is welcome. Please leave a comment below with the things you think I should check out.

Favourites Pin.jpg

Please do subscribe to my blog if you liked what you read. It does help me out a lot (look at the sidebar on ways to follow). Connect with me on Pinterest / Twitter/ Instagram.

Thanks for stopping by!

❤ ❤

*Products with an * mean that these are Amazon affiliate links. You do not pay extra, I just make a small commision off your purchase.

21Jan2016

Gift ideas for your ‘girlie’ friend (what I got for my birthday)

Posted in Beauty, Hauls, In your 40s, Planning by Joanna Malefaki

January the 8th was my birthday, and today I am sharing with you a ‘what I got for my birthday post’ because I like reading them, and you may get inspired and have a gift idea for one of your friends! So, here’s what my friends know I like:

❤ makeup

❤ bags

❤ planner stuff

❤ clothes/ scarves

and ….. that’s what I got. My friends spoiled me loads. So, let’s unwrap, shall we?

PicMonkey Collage

Pressies

One of my friends made me this beautiful scarf. It is a one piece scarf in a nice mustard/gold colour. Isn’t it lovely? A homemade pressie ❤

I love stationery, I like planner stuff, so my sis got me a big box, which I can use to store things, some washi tape, a cute notebook, and of course pens!

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My mum and my sis also got me some lipsticks, a blush, some nail polish and an eyeshadow brush. Now, let me just say that I have already used the eyeshadow brush and I love it (small shading brush: applying and blending powders). It has a very small brush, but that is what I like about it. You see, I don’t see that well and I usually smudge my eye shadow (unintentionally), but this brush allows me to control the eye shadow more! I actually went and got a 2nd one (yup). The lipsticks are called Fancy Freesia (fuchsia) and Rust me (chocolate/red-ish). The blush is called golden peach and it is a gold/pink colour that shimmers just a bit (this is me giving a colour blind friendly round up of the colours).

I also got a going out bag from the brand Coccinelle. I know, right?

A nice and warm (fluffy) hoodie from H&M. So nice to wear. I am actually planning on joining the gym (let’s see if that happens).

Victoria’s secret lip products: a lip gloss, lip oil (ummm dunno what that is) and a lip balm.

Lancome Ombre Hypnose (ultra twinkling colour high fidelity) in the colour sorbet rose (golden pink) and Ombre Hypnose Stylo in the colour 05 (grey/very light charcoal).

So, there you have it. Of course life is not about material goods but being happy. I am really grateful for all the lovely gifts I got and I am thankful. I had a lovely birthday party with my friends that night. We laughed, sang, smiled. That, in the end, is what matters. The good times.

Do subscribe to my blog if you liked this post. Connect with me on Pinterest/ Twitter/ Instagram.Maybe even give my Facebook page some TLC? Remember the comments section is all yours!

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Thanks for stopping by.

xox

4Jan2016

Birthday plan with me & HUGE giveaway

Posted in In your 40s, Planning by Joanna Malefaki

Giveaway Closed. Winner to be announced.

Hi lovelies!

On Friday it’s my birthday so I though I’d share with you my birthday spread and do a stationery giveaway. I will be giving away an extra set of the Birthday kit, some extra planner stickers and lots of stationery cause we ❤ our stationery (for details on how to take part, please read till the end).

My birthday spread

So, Birthday plan with me. It’s my big 40 people!!

How did I plan? What did I use?

I wrote down all my weekly chores on the top boxes in the 1st 3 columns and I also included my work schedule whenever I had work. The side bar and some of “Monday column” were dedicated to my Birthday.The sidebar is for who is invited and RSVPed and ‘Monday’ is my To Dos.

The kit which I used and will be giving away (a new one of course) is from Lilly Top stickers (Etsy store link can be found here). It’s bright, very colourful. Just right for a birthday.

The giveaway

There are 2 prizes so there will be two winners. One is stationery, the other is more planner-related. If you take part in the giveaway, you will be included in both draws (keep reading for details.

What’s included?

Prize 1

Prize 1

Planner-related

You will get the Birthday kit (2 sheets) which I purchased from Lilly Top and the two extras (nail polish/cleaning icons) which she kindly added to this giveaway (thanks Jules). 2 birthday bookmarks and a bigger bday card, some sticky notes, a paperclip, a little paper-cutter (cuts cupid shapes) and the an eraser that is useless but looks like a present (so cute!). The kit is for the ECLP, but I used washi and it was fine!! No planner included just planner kits.

Prize 2

Stationery

So you get 4 pens that smell like fruit, 3 mini notepads, 3 paperclips, butterfly stickers, a paper-cutter (flower shapes) and again a useless but really cute eraser that looks like… flip-flops!!!

How to enter the giveaway

You must do 2 things:

Follow this blog via email subscription (first option on the sidebar)
Leave a comment below saying whatever you want, but mentioning your preference. Say for example you prefer the planner stuff first, then the stationery or vice versa.

In order to take part you must do both!If you are already following my blog via email, please mention it in your comment!Don’t worry if your comment does not show up straight away. Some require moderation and I will approve them the moment I see them!!

Extra info regarding the giveaway

It starts today 4th of January and will end on the 10th at 12 o’clock CET (central european). The first person drawn will get the prizes based on his/her preference. The second person will get the remaining prize. Winners will be chosen via rafflecopter. This giveaway is open internationally (yeap, yeap) and I will be sending the goodies via registered mail. The winner will be contacted via email and in a blog post.Only the items included in pictures with the caption prize 1/prize 2 are in the giveaway.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog and comment if you want to enter the giveaway! ❤ ❤

I am also doing a skin care giveaway which you may want to check out here (different requirements).

If you are looking to buy an Eric Condren planner, I have a $10 off offer for you guys if you purchase the planner by pressing the words $10 off my ELCP below (this is a referral link).

$10 off my ECLP

*If you want a Happy Planner and are not in the US (that’s what I am using and I love it), you can buy the same one as mine by pressing here.

Check out my planner category for loads of planner-related topics, coupon codes and printables. Connect with me on Pinterest/ Twitter/ Instagram.Maybe even give my Facebook page some TLC? Comments section is all yours. Thanks for reading. Good luck everyone!!! And of couse… happy planning!!!!!!! Remember for the giveaway you must also subscribe via mail to my blog 🙂

Talk soon

xx
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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GIVEAWAY CLOSED