Category Archives: Travelling

Little Miss Sunshine Review

Posted in Travelling, York by

Hi lovelies,

Fancy a night out with your friends, your family, or even a date night? I have you covered! Yesterday evening we went to the theater (Dawnie and I. Dawnie is my work wifey) . It was fantastic and I am going to tell you all about it.

Where? What?

I went to the York Grand Opera House and I saw Little Miss Sunshine. According to the press release,

Based on the Academy Award-winning film by Michael Arndt, Little Miss Sunshine is the off-beat musical comedy created by the Tony Award-winning team of James Lapine (who collaborated with Stephen Sondheim on Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park with George) and William Finn (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Falsettos).

Tell us more…

Well, I do not want to give too much away, but there it is about a family with various  ‘characters’ who go on an 800 mile road trip in order to take part in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. You get to witness loads of comical moments as well as sad ones. Lots of conversations everyone can relate to.

I laughed

and cried

It’s a musical… Is it too sing-y?

Nope. Great balance. The songs are well placed throughout the musical and they are very catchy. Fun. You do end up dancing a bit in your seat. My favourite scene is the fight… and it is music to my ears. Literally. So smart. So cool.

What else?

Well, they use the stage well. The stage is big. It looks like a rich production. The bus scenes are really well thought out. The lighting is great. The sound is amazing. Not too high, not too low. Just right.

More Details

The musical is about two hours long with a break in the middle. Time flies coz you are having so much fun. The wine Dawnie and I had was a really nice addition to the evening.

Book a Ticket. What is on offer?

The show is on until Saturday 7th of June. What are you waiting for?

The Grand Opera House York are offering 14-26 year olds tickets for 10 pounds plus a free drink. All you need to do is mention SUNSHINE10 when booking (online or at the box office)..

Press tickets courtesy of Grand Opera House York* in exchange for this review. Tickets #gifted.

Photo credits: pics of the musical were taken by Manuel Harlan-Min.

Other pics: taken by me.

Vlogging time: York, Primark and my 1st white cane

Posted in Hauls, In your 40s, Thoughts, Travelling by

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Hi lovelies,

YouTube promo time. I filmed a vlog cause my life is sooooooooooo interesting. What do I show you?

Two hauls 😳😳

A grocery haul and a Primark haul.I love watching what people think about food and seeing what they consume. I get ideas about what I could buy.

My Primark haul was a good one actually (mind my saying!). I got Tees and a really cool makeup bag (I strongly suggest you pick one up if you have the opportunity).

I also bought pressies for my family.

I show you my new lap top/ table tray. I like that as well.

I am using my white cane for the first time. I think that if you are partially sighted like me, you really need to get one! Of course I walk around York which is a lovely place!!

Here is my vlog. Do check it out and subscribe if you wanna hear more from me…..

More vlogs are coming your way this time from Crete, Greece, so stay tuned.

Don’t forget to connect with me somewhere, somehow (check the sidebar for details.

have a nice day/ night.

Chat soon

xx

Jo

Walk around my town with me (Crete, Greece)

Posted in Blogging, Travelling by

Hi everyone!!

I am going to show you my town. I live in Chania,  Crete, Greece. The pictures are from the Venetian harbour and the little narrow streets in the harbour area. So, no more words…. just pics. Oh! Most of these pics are  examples of what I share on Instagram (@mypinkrambles), so I hope you like the pics.

Last Sunday

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So, that’s all for now!!I hope you like this post. If you enjoyed what you read, do subscribe to my blog. We can also connect on social media. Click on the ones you use and connect with me 🙂  Pinterest / Twitter/ Instagram/Google+. /YouTube  Maybe give my Facebook page a ‘like’ and you will neva, eva miss out on my super posts.

Talk soon.

J.

My white Birthday, lunching by the beach & chanel

Posted in In your 40s, Thoughts, Travelling by

Hi everyone!!

I thought I’d share this week’s vlog video, but I also thought I’d write a short post and share some pictures with you.

So, at the beginning of the year, I went to this area called Halepa (Chania, Crete) and had a lovely lunch by the beach. The restaurant is literally on the beach. II went with my friend and we ordered some lovely food. Meat pie,, we had soup and a yummy mushroom and pork risotto.

I bought a lovely white winter coat from Marc’s and Spencer and I really love it. It is being sold at M&S at the moment. I think a white coat is a staple and everyone should have one.

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Not bad eh?

My Birthday

My birthday was on the 8th of January and it snowed!! Yup. It hasn’t snowed in my town since 2004. That’s 13 years!! I was so happy. It was lovely. A white birthday.

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Saturday the 14th

I am a teacher and some of my students were taking a language proficiency test, so I had to spend my Saturday at the hotel trying to offer moral support. It was quite relaxing actually. I had a lovely coffee and read Instyle. I also got to wear my Chanel No.197 (green/ silver). I thought it lasted well even though my application was not that great(I missed a spot).

 

My Vlog

In my vlog you get to see all of this. I am trying to grow my channel, so any TLC would be appreciated (maybe subscribe or share? ❤ ❤ ).

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Talk soon.

xox

Blogmas: a Lovely Weekend & the Xmas Boat

Posted in Blogmas 2016, Travelling by

 

Hi everyone!

I had a lovely weekend and I thought I’d tell you a bit about it. Saturday I went to see my niece dance ballet for the first time and it was really cute cause she is only 4. I also went shopping and bought a few Christmas pressies.

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At the moment, in Greece, there are a lot of sales going on, so that is great. I actually got some makeup with a 40% discount which is fabulous!! Yeap. Stocking up. I went for lunch with a friend I hand’t seen for ages and that was great!!

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You know, you bump into someone and then just go for lunch and after that I went to the supermarket(yeap, Saturday night fun times) and bought food. I was out for almost 12 hours, so my Saturday night was chilled.

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Sunday was a bit like Saturday but I went clothes shopping with my mum, sister and niece and again there were sales. It was a very warm day. We then went for lunch and had some yummy food. I cam home, made coffee, did my face masks and read a book called ‘singles’.

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I have been reading this book since summer. You see, I cannot start a new book if I do not finish the old one. Unfortunately, this one is not grabbing my attention, so I am reading it really slowly.

So, I have a video where I show you my town, Chania, Crete (Greece) in more detail and some photos throughout this post just to give you a picture of what life in Crete is like during the holiday season.Yes, instead of trees, on islands, we decorate …boats :).

I hope you enjoyed this post. How do you celebrate your Christmas/ Holidays? Don’t forget to follow my blog/ YouTube channel.

Thanks for stopping by.

xox

Joanna

A weekend in Newcastle: food, drinks and earrings

Posted in In your 40s, Travelling by

If you are a fan of a fun night out from places with amazing decor to more chilled out pubs, and if you like vibrant city center and friendly people or finally if you are looking for a place to spend bank holiday weekend or any weekend, then you should read this post.

When I talk about Newcastle, I am a little bit biased cause I have really great memories there. That’s where I got my first job at a UK uni, I made my first English friends. Friends I am still in touch with and well, it is a great place, close to my heart. A couple of weeks ago I went there for a hen do. One of my friends invited me and of course I decided to go. So, today’s post is about what I did during the weekend in Newcastle.

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Hotel

I stayed at the Holiday Inn in Jesmond. I had stayed there before and I liked the rooms. I became a ‘club’ member and this gave me an extra discount. The metro station is quite close to the hotel, but I used a taxi quite a bit and paid about 4-5 pounds to go to the center. The room I stayed in was spacious and the best thing is that everything in the fridge is complimentary (water, juice, kit kat).

Food & cocktails

Passing Clouds

On the first night, I went to this new bar/ restaurant called Passing Clouds. Very beautiful inside. There was live music and real yummy cocktails. There is also an outdoor seating area and we sat there. I strongly recommend this place. Check out the pictures below.

Kafeneon (Greek restaurant)

That was a funny place to go for food (I am Greek), but in the end, the food was yummy, atmosphere was great and the price was good as well. You should check this place out if you are a fan of the Greek cuisine.

Lola Jeans

Now, on to my favourite.This is probably the prettiest, most plush place I have been to during the summer. The food was tasty and the cocktails were delicious and sooooooo different. And yes, the drink in the tea cup is a cocktail called China Rose.

Browns

This is a bar/ restaurant. I went for food there. Had a delicious starter with mushrooms and a burger. Very tasty and great environment. Not too loud for a Sunday dinner.
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Shopping

I walked around Eldon Square which is a big mall in the center of Newcastle. You can find almost all the mainstream stores there. The only thing I bought is this cute pair of earrings from Accessorize.

Hen Do

Oh!! This was so fun. Part of the hen do was at Lola jeans. We went to the bride to be house and played games. Had a laugh. Then we went for drinks to Durham. It was great to do some bar hopping in Durham!!
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So there you have it loves, my weekend in Newcastle.
If you like reading about beauty, makeup, reading haul posts and first impressions, but you also like to check out places I go to, then don’t forget to subscribe to my blog. Also, why not connect on social media and be best buds Pinterest / Twitter/ Instagram/Google+. . Have you been to Newcastle? Any suggestions about where else I need to go?

My May favourites: beauty, fashion and random

Posted in Beauty, In your 40s, Monthly favourites, Travelling by

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Hey everyone time for May favourites! In this post you will find all the things fashion, beauty and random I loved this month!! So let’s start.

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Beauty

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Multi Purpose Palette

I ❤ this palette. It is gorgeous!! There is a highlighter, a blush, and a bronzer. My fave is the highlighter. It is worth the splurge girls. For a full review press here.

Palette

TooFaced Cocoa Contour

I have been non-touring for a while now (cause I didn’t know how to contour, not cause I am a trend setter :P), but I bought and have been using the Cocoa Contour palette and I think I am getting quite good at it. I like it. In Greece it retails for 36 euro.

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Sephora Kabouki Brush

I got the Pro  Contour Kabuki Brush 82 which is dummy proof (newbie) and it sits right where you want it to when contouring. Retails for 25 euros ( I know…..).

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Clinique Chubby Stick for eyes

If you have difficulties seeing (like me), you should give eye shadow pencils/ sticks a shot cause you can ‘feel’ where you are applying the shadow. You have more control of your eyeshadow when it is a stick. I saw that Clinique had a  shadow tint for the eyes (in the Chubby stick line) and bought the stick in the number 04  ample amber. I love it!! I am going to get a few more colours cause they are so easy to use and more on the buttery feel side. It is also inexpensive! In Greece it costs 16 euro ( we always have sales as I have said a zillion times).

Random beauty tip: If you wear glasses like me, and you want your eyes to ‘pop’ you should apply in the middle of your lid a champagne-y shadow.

Fashion

My Kurt Geiger Bag

I have been wearing it quite a lot the past month. I really like it. For a full review press here.

Bag

Top

I got this from Mark and Spencer’s. You can wear it day and night. Dress up and down. I love the sleeves with the ladder- like cut outs.

Earrings

I have loads of earrings and this month I added a few to my collection. The ones on the left are from Claire’s and on the right from Anna Mazaraki.

Cardigan

I got this cardigan from Zara and I have been loving it. It is soft and warm enough for a chilly summer night.

Random

Frappe

It’s summer time in Greece and time for my fave coffee, frappe. Forget about what you knew, we are talking about the real thing. Greek Frappe! I will tell you how we make it . So, you need instant coffee (spray-dried). I use Nescafe. You need sugar and milk (if you take sugar and milk in your coffee. So, I use a spoonful of Nescafe, a spoonful of sugar, water and then use the coffee whisk mixer to mix them and create froth. You then add water and ice and…. enjoy your frappe!

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My town in May

I live in Chania, Crete. If you are looking to book summer holidays, check out my town (I do not work for the ministry of tourism, I promise).

So, that’s all for now.

Subscribe to my blog if you liked what you read. It does put a smile on my face. Maybe give my Facebook page a ‘like’ so you can get notifications of when I post? Connect with me on Pinterest / Twitter/ Instagram/Google+.

 

Let’s walk around my town: Chania, Crete

Posted in Travelling by

Hi there!!

I decided it was about time I took you around my town. I live in Chania, Crete (Greece). At the moment it is Easter time in Greece (Greek Orthodox) and the weather is great (like 27 degrees!). So, this was a good opportunity for me to take you along. Yesterday was Good Friday. On Good Friday we go to the church and kneel before the crucifixion.

So, let’s walk around Chania

My day started with a pomegranate and green tea juice and a walk around the old harbour (also know as the Venetian harbour).

You see my town has a long history and has architectural influence from the Egyptian, the Turks, The Venetians and the Greeks!

Walking around the Venetian harbour

Of course the most popular landmark is the Alexandrian Lighthouse.

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and the harbour itself.

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There are also squares

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and an old mosque.

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This place was so packed that I couldn’t take a picture of the whole building (sorry folks, gonna have to settle with half of it).

Walking around the Old town

After our juice, we started walking around the old town and going to churches. I have not taken any pics of the inside of churches, but I do have pictures of the places I walked by.

Our first stop was in a small square where you find two well-known restaurants and the church of Agia Irini (or Dabia square).Pictures below are of the tavern called the Turkish Well.

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Lots of taverns in my town are like this (just so you know).

You see really beautiful buildings,

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and little naighbourhoods.

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Today

Today I woke up to the smell of traditional cheese pies (sometimes they are mixed with spinach or other green spices/stuff (Haha! Dunno the English word for this!). This is a typical dish for Easter.

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and this is a typical sweet bread for Easter.

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So, there you have it. I gave you a small glimpse of some of the places in my town and I also showed you two of our Easter “dishes”.

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Happy Easter to those celebrating. If you are looking for a place to spend your summer, you should look into Chania (Crete) cause Greece is not just about the economy, Grexit and bad things shown on the news. There is a lot of beauty and very friendly folks!

Subscribe to my blog if you liked what you read. It does put a smile on my face. Maybe give my Facebook page a ‘like’ so you can get notifications of when I post? Connect with me on Pinterest / Twitter/ Instagram.

Talk soon!

xx

Jo

Special thanks to my friend Antoni for some of the pics

What’s in my travel makeup bag?

Posted in Beauty, In your 40s, Planning, Travelling by

Hi loves,

I am off to Birmingham (UK) on Tuesday and I am just taking a carry on suitcase. My travel makeup bag is one of the things I will have with me and in today’s post, I will show you how I pack and what goes inside my makeup bag.

Planning what to take

I have all my makeup in various pots.and containers. I bring them all together and start deciding on what to take based on the way I do my makeup. I started with priming and foundation/concealers. I then moved on to eyes and blushes. The final stage is my lippies.

What’s in my makeup bag?

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A moisture surge face cream sample (Clinique) and other cream samples.

Estee Lauder Matte perfecting Primer.

Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation and  Brush on Glow concealer. I am also taking my Estee Lauder Double Wear compact, so I can have something to carry in my purse.

Max Factor Master Touch Under Eye concealer

Makeup Academy Undress Your Skin shimmer highlighter

Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder (Chanel)

My Brushes: Lancome Foundation Brush No. 2 Real Techniques Stippling Brush.

Sephora Powder Brush N0 49. A Fan brush.

Eyes and Cheeks

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Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer

Extra sculpt WaterProof mascara  by Kiko Milano

Lancome Ombre Hypnose Stylo in the colour 05 Erika F (??? it’s a grey colour)

Bourjeois ColorBand Eyeshadow and Eyeliner in no. 04 Rose Fauviste

L’oreal Paris Eyeshadow Matte 104

Mac Blush in the colour Fleuer Power

H&M Blush in the colour Apricot

L’oreal Le Blush No.165 (yes, I need 3 blushes)

Burberry Eyebrow Definer No.03

Tommy G (Greek brand) Eye Shadow Lunare no.1006

My Brushes: H&M Small shading brush and Sephora Blush brush in n0. 50

Random Stuff

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Tooth brush & Tooth Paste

Shower cap and small shampoo/conditioner & soap.

Magnifying Mirror cause I cannot see well

Makeup Remover Wipes

Korres Exfoliating Cream (travel size)

Neutro Roberts Extra Delicate Powder Fresh Roll On ( I love this one!)

A little box with bandaids and other little toiletries

Body Shope Vitamin E  Face Mist ( I also use this as setting spray).

Oral B Dental Floss

Now you may ask, what about lippies?

Oh! I always chuck 3/4 in my suitcase and more in my handbag. So far I know I am taking my Colour Pop in Plum/ Poppy Pop and My H& M Fancy Freesia.

And…. here’s my makeup bag with everything in it. The random stuff gets chucked in the suitcase in a different bag.

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So, that’s all folks!! If I have time I will also try to do what’s in my carry on Bag, but I have to prepare my talk as well ( I am presenting at a conference), so not sure. Anyways, let me know if you think I need to take something else.

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. I am doing #Beda; blogging every (kinda) day in April, so do check out those posts.

 

How Greek is my Big Fat Greek wedding?

Posted in Thoughts, Travelling by

I saw my big fat Greek wedding 2 a couple of days ago and started thinking about how true the things shown in the movie are. As a gal who lives in ‘contemporary’ Greece and someone who grew up in Australia, I have experienced both sides of Greekness.That’s why  I had to write this post. I just had to. So, here goes:

How true/realistic are the things shown in the movie?

Meddling

Yeap. The family meddles a lot. You have a mama’s gal and a papa’s boy. You have kids living with their parents till they get married (that’s more cause of the economy if you ask me). When there is drama, the first person to call is your mum, then the whole family knows. Weddings are big, family gatherings are big. Family and meddling go hand in hand.

Flags/ statues

OK, so, some people (in Greece) do have flags hanging from their balconies but that’s only on national holidays or when we win a big match or something. I was very curious about statues though. Do people actually buy/have statues in their gardens? Well, a little birdie told me that their family has a small statue in their yard (they live abroad, not in Greece). So, that’s correct too!!!

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Food

Food is very important. When you are invited somewhere, you eat. The more food you eat, the better it is. You better not make the mistake and say you are not hungry when you go to a Greek’s house. Food gets shoved down your mouth anyways!! Not eating food is considered rude.

Music

Yes, we sing  (a lot), dance ( a lot) and music is a very important part of our lives. All Greeks think they can sing.We have lots of special songs to celebrate things.

Loud

Yes. Very loud. When we talk, you think we are arguing, but we aren’t. Nope. We are just chatting :).

But

We don’t think cleaning products solve everything. We do not think that all words derive from ancient Greek (although most do :p).

I am not going to review the movie, cause well, I don’t want to. I think I liked the first one better though.

Till the next post folks.

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. I am doing #Beda; blogging every (kinda) day in April, so do check out those posts.

See ya tomorrow

xxx