31-Dec-2014

Happy New Year!

This is it! 365 blog post later, it's almost 2015! Cheers to everyone who took this journey of a blog with me! Thank you, thank you so, so much!

Pour the sparkling wine, grab the hands of your loved ones, take a breath and enjoy the HAPPY NEW YEAR! May the New Year be full of goodness, happiness, goo health and best of luck for everyone. Cheers!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

30-Dec-2014

The Adventure Continues...

As promised, I have a new outlet to share all of adventures in the world of food, books, movies and travelling! If you click on the title above it will take you directly to the new blog. So far there you can find my adventures from this past years, the recipes, the reviews, the good staff. More, new!, content to come soon... because The Adventure Continues!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

29-Dec-2014

A Year In Life

I think it's time for me to think about the past year and the crazy adventure this blog has been. When I started the blog I wasn't sure if I will be able to keep to my promise and actually write a post every day. As it turns out - I can. It takes a bit of preparation and the right mental set, some planning ahead but other than that is real fun!

2014 was a good and generous year for me. I had a relatively successful first year at university, and hopefully this one will be even better. I'm still greatly enjoying what I study, although I'm getting the Second Year Blues, which means that I question everything I do, why I do it, how I do, should I actually do it, why is nothing what it seemed to be, why everything changes so fast and why nothing hasn't changed. The usual drama.

I also managed to change 3 jobs in just 1 year. Beginning 1st of January 2014 I started working at the AMEX stadium in Brighton and stayed there for 3 awful and miserable months until March. When this gig was long gone, I tried my luck at McDonald's where I spent yet another 3 horrible months from June to August. This was an experience that I'll try and spare my children from. To put it nicely, there's a reason why McDonald's is always needs to hire new people after the previous ones have left. And last, but not least, late June I started at The Jolly Poacher and I'm still going strong. This place has become my second home, my sanctuary and my safe haven. I love the fact that I'm working with people I love and respect, people who are passionate about what they are doing and the way they do it. It is also a very nice, practical change from my university life - here I always know when I do something right and I can see that I'm getting better at it one day at a time. The people at the Jolly are my family and my colleagues, so what can be better than that?

In my personal life 2014 has been a smooth sailing, more or less. I was extremely happy to have my grandparents over for a week in the beginning of the Summer. They are now planning their second visit, and my sweet sweet grandma is trying to convince my parents that it will be one hell of an adventure if they decide to come and visit me here! I also managed to go back home for 2 weeks in the beginning of September, so my Mum and Dad had the opportunity to squeeshy-squash me for 2 weeks before I came back to my duties. Hopefully next year we'll have more opportunities to spent time together, because I know how much they miss me and how much I miss them!

Mr.Boyfriend and I have been very happy together, thank you very much! We celebrated our 4th anniversary this year and we marked the occasion with a lovely dinner at a small Italian restaurant, and a treasure hunt in London (that was massive fun, y'all). After a summer spent working, working, working, we took our well deserved break in late November going for a long weekend in Barcelona. Apart from me, getting food poisoning, our stay in Barcelona was the perfect place for us to have a little rest and time for just ourselves. Definitely will go there again. As for next year, we are planning a Brighton to Paris cycling vacation and maybe a short break in Southern Italy. Who knows...

This year I also saw my cooking skills developing on a whole new level - from the confidence to make a layered cake to preparing  my own pastry to making pasta from scratch! I also experimented a lot more with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free recipes and was more or less successful. Or at least told you guys only about the success stories. I hope next year to be able to spent a little bit more time in the kitchen, perfecting the things I already know how to make well and experimenting even more.

The thing I regret the most this year is not doing enough exercise. I started alright, then had a very strong Spring-Summer period (remember the month when I did yoga daily? plus the 20-min-a-day exercise minimum I had during the whole summer?) but the autumn and the winter were not so good for me. I am constantly too tired to be bothered to do exercise when I come back home from school or work. However, I'm eager to change that. And I think I am going to do it very soon and very much for real!

Because my new year-long dedication is to do yoga every day for one whole year. That is, 2015 is officially the healthy fit me year! 

Bang-Bang!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

27-Dec-2014

Presents, Presents, So Many Presents!

Ah, what is more Christmas-y than opening presents all day long! Or maybe just once, because it can be a bit overwhelming, right? However, the reason I'mm still talking abut Christmas two days after it, is because I just feel the need to let you all know what the amazing people in my life got me and to finally revel what I got Mr.Boyfriend. So, drums please, it's presents bragging time!

Mr.Boyfriend outdid himself, truly! He did such an amazing job following my subtle hints, hitting the blog, and being creative himself. He found the softest, cutest, most amazing gray pajamas for me, that I will live in if that wasn't too weird, hah. He also got me The Dark Net, a book I have been very interested in and that may be very useful for the future. It's the exact right mixture between interesting, important and educational. We was creative enough to find me a decorative skull with ruby red eyes, that I completely adore - I've been dreaming of decorative skull for our bedroom for a while now. Then he continued his strike of awesomeness and creative abilities and bought me an amazing yoga mat, so I have no excuses not to do yoga at home, or for that matter anywhere else. And last, but not least, he found a loose leaf tea shop and chose two blends for me, so that I have something to keep me warm in the long term days.

On the other hand, he was spoiled by my with a beautiful laptop/work bag by Jeff Banks, that fits nicely with the rest of black leather goods that I've been buying him for the past few years. He also got 12 pairs of funky socks because he goes out of socks faster than anyone I have ever known. So now I have made sure that I have at least 2 weeks before he starts nagging again that he doesn't have any nice looking socks left to wear. Next, I got him a children's book by Gianni Rodari called "The adventures of Little Onion", my most favourite book from the childhood and one he haven't heard of before we moved in together. Oh, and I have the horrible habit of constantly quoting it, because it so hilarious! And because he's my most favourite boy in the world, he got a Toblerone and some home-made baked goods.

Then my lovely bosses, the owners of The Jolly Poacher (go check this place NOW), when overboard with making us at home on Christmas day and there were so many presents for us that it was almost embarrassing! I got a bottle of really good sloe gin, the cutest, most funky knee high socks, boutique chocolates, turron, the most amazing perfume and a pearl pendant necklace - they really really went overboard and I can't think of a way to express how thankful I felt for all the care and kindness they had for us! They also had presents for Mr.Boyfriend - a Calvin Klein scarf, Italian praline chocolates and a Japanese puzzle box, that will keep him occupied for a fair bit of time!

On top of all that, we got the care package from our parents, which included a handsome amount of chocolate for us, few nice woolen pairs of socks for Mr.Boyfriend and I, a wonderful top from Zara for me, and so many other little things. 

So yes, we both get royally spoiled. And fed. Best Christmas days ever! And I'm so blessed to have those amazing people in my life, that I can't simple put it other way! What a wonderful life this is!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

26-Dec-2014

Christmas on 100 Ditchling Street

Mr.Boyfriend and I had the most amazing Christmas day yesterday! I honestly think this was one of my best, most memorable, gorgeous and awesome Christmas days that I had ever had. We spent the day with my bosses and their families, so all the grandparents, the kids (!!!), the dogs, everyone was there. My little loving munchies were there, so we had lots of fun together and Mr.Boyfriend finally met my favourite little boy and they played some with Transformers together, which was amazing to watch. You know, it touched a very special string in my heart to see my lovely loving partner make himself absolutely and completely available to a child, and try and accommodate every single possible need that this child might have.

We also ate amazing food, courtesy of my boss and his father in-law, both chef-patrons at respected restaurants and both very good at what they are doing. And then there were some amazing bottles of wine, that Mrs. Boss chose for our meal, because this is what she's good at. Yes, a great day, the best Christmas day I had had in a quite a while!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

25-Dec-2014

A Very Merry Christmas Day!

Mr.Boyfriend and I have been very good (to each other) this year! Obviously! How else would you explain this pile of presents underneath our Christmas three? Squeeek! I can't wait to open mine, so ...

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

22-Dec-2014

Next Up

Until the end of 2014 has left a little bit over a week. Most people around me are now starting to look back at their year and to make plans and resolutions for the new year. I, on the other hand, am not yet ready for this. This year was so intense, on so many different levels, that I can't still wrap my mind around it. I'll probably try to avoid thinking about it until the 31st itself. I still don't have a goal for the next 365 days, but I know one thing- my new project won't be a post a day for a year. This is too exhausting on my brain and I cannot do it again straight after the first one. 

However, keep your eyes peeled because I plan to launch a new blog soon, where I'll share recipes,  travel tips and insides, restaurant experiences, and books and movies reviews. More or less, just the  most interesting part of Project 365. But more about that is coming real soon!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

13-Dec-2014

It's Time

To say goodbye to our beloved friends, the Royal Couple. They are finally moving to Berlin with everything they own and their lovely cats, Becks and Bourbon. We going out on a dinner with them later tonight and then early tomorrow morning they are driving out of the country. I am sad, to be honest, because Mr.Boyfriend and I are loosing our best friends here, but on the other hand this is going to make them so  happy that I don't have the hearth not to be happy for them. Never mind, at least now we are having place to crash at when we visit at Berlin. We are still to decide if we want to live in Berlin or in Barcelona, so this might actually prove to be useful. We'll see...

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

12-Dec-2014

Countdown!

Just a quick reminder that there are less than two weeks left until Christmas. I'll be adding some finishing touches to my Christmas gifts today and hopefully very soon I'll have everything ready! La-la-laaa!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

11-Dec-2014

50% Of It ALL

Submitting my today's work marked a milestone in my university degree. As from today at 14:17 I am halfway thorough with it. That means that from now on - I's almost over. Believe me, that is exciting!

Mr.Boyfriend and I will be having a small celebration of the end of term and a belated private birthday celebration. At some point. In the future. When we feel like to it.  I hope.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

4-Dec-2014

Powering Through

Life is getting very complicated these days, more than ever before. Term is ending next week, so I have two deadlines coming up, one on Monday one on Thursday, and an exam, on Wednesday. To top this up, life at work is getting complicated - Christmas is just around the corner, and people are organising big parties and dinner dates, so I'm getting extra work load. Just to make things a tad more difficult, one of the girls had left us, and the manager and the assistant manager are going away for Christmas so Mrs. Boss and I are practically left on our own... We can make it, I can make it. It's all going to be fine. I just need to get my brain together and do what I do best - work, work, work. And don't forget to eat and sleep every other day.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

30-Nov-2014

21

It's my Birthday! My personal day of the year! Oh, and what a happy yeat it was!

I can't express how grateful I am for all the amazing people in my life, my family, my friends, my colleagues, the children I look after, their amazing parents, and Mr.Boyfriend. I'm surrounded with so much joy, love, good vibes, kindness and laughter.

My 20th year was a great one, everything I hoped it to be and even more. Yes, I wished I had traveled more and had spent a lot more time with my family, but I cannot change it so there's no point in worrying over it now. All I can do is try to make the next one better. I'm lucky enough to have an understanding family that knows how much I love them and that if I could, I would spend a lot more time with them. We can all agree that there awesome and that I'm horrible and call it a day.

I hope that my 20th year had made me a better person, smarter, stronger. It had definitely left me feeling very much loved and taken care of.

And thank you all, for being around!

Lots of Love, Stana, aged 21

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

27-Nov-2014

The Sugar Challenge: Update

Yes, I did it! I have up sugar for 20 days straight and wasn't tempted just even once. Even though I was salivating like a stray dog in front of a butcher's shop every day, going through all the emails I get from food blogs, I managed to stay strong and follow the rules I made up myself.  Oh, and doesn't that feel great!

I am not sure if I have lost even a gram for those 20 days, probably not since I haven't done any active exercises doing this time. I don't include cycling because I'm not covering a decent mileage daily for it to count. So, loosing weight is out of the question. But that's just fine...

The point is that I feel better. I think. I am not sure if I have more energy than before, but I definitely feel more sharp and not so much like a bear, wanting to have a snack and then sleep forever. I also feel like I'm taking responsibility of my own health and that feels really good, I must say. I feel less tired in the morning and, funny enough, no outbreak on my face so far. The last may have something to do with the fact that I promised myself to put hydrating cream on my face every evening, but I can never be sure.

I don't know if I'm going to resume my sugar-free diet when we come back from Barcelona. I might just try and find weekly-based moderation. Or just allow myself 1 sugar day per month, or something. I haven't figured it out just yet. But I know that my days of stuffing myself like Christmas turkey with sugar and candies, are officially over! Hopefully for good.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

25-Nov-2014

The Christmas Countdown

There's exactly one month left until Christmas. I still have not where we have put the Christmas tree last winter. I'm not buying any new toys for the three as well. I gave up on convincing Mr.Boyfriend to buy fairy lights - he thinks they are fire hazardous. No ugly Christmas sweaters are being bought. No Christmas pudding is being started. Oh, and no idea what presents I'm buying for the kids. Like no-freaking-idea whatsoever! I have to figure out what a teenager girl will find cool, what a little boy will find awesome and what a toddler girl will be happy about. I don't know which one is the hardest one. All I know is that I have to buy them the advent calendars the next time we go grocery shopping. Boo-hoo. Stana has no Christmas spirit.

But Mr.Boyfriend's Christmas gifts are almost settled. I have to buy just a thing or two more, so that his present is truly magnificent. So this is settled. And I had the most brilliant idea what I'm going to get my Mum on behalf of Dad and me. And she's going to love it, I just know it. And I can just hope that Mr.Boyfriend finds a little elf (or a blog) that whispers him that there certain things that I want more than others. Like waaay more.

On the bright side, since we have been adopted for Christmas day, we get to spend the time with people I love and admire, in a family environment. It doesn't get much better than that when you're living abroad, miles away from your own family. And I might even get lucky and get to try nice, home-made minced pies this year. Who knows...

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

23-Nov-2014

Gifts And Birthdays

So, Mr.Boyfriend went ahead and gave me my Birthday present few days ago. Once again he managed to surprise me with something that had never crossed my mind, a gift in a complete Mr.Boyfriend's fashion. He decided that I will be very happy to receive a gift voucher for 1 hour head, neck and back massage in a massage studio in Brighton. I'm not sure now to react to this gift, especially since I'm sure I won't be able to book my session until mid-December, and that is in case I'm not overloaded with work. And I probably will be. So that means I'll have to postpone it until further notice and, with my luck, the voucher might as well expire. I'll probably just sent him instead, just to make sure that he gets some value for his money.

So, yes, this is what I got for my Birthday from him. Probably that will be the only present I'm going to get for my Birthday this year. Yep. Happy days. What can I say...

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

21-Nov-2014

Go, Going, Gone

Today is the goodbye party for our friends, the so-called Royal Couple. They are, finally, after many years of talking about it, moving back to Berlin. For these two it has never been if they are moving out of England, it has been When, for goodness sake, will they be able to do it. So tonight they are having a huge get together, with all of their friends, colleagues and close people and next weekend they are starting their new life in Berlin, the city of their dreams.

And Mr.Boyfriend and I are being left alone, without our best friend and most loved allies when it comes to funky business and having fun. If that's not sad, I don't know what it is...

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

19-Nov-2014

Still

My headache is still here, still so gloriously strong. I managed to sleep for maybe 3-4 hours last night, since my head felt like it's trying to get the best of me.

I ended up going to the hospital on campus this morning, where after an appointment with a nurse and later on with a doctor, I was told to take more iboprophen and try to do some yoga and to practice meditation. The yoga part was especially helpful since my head hurts particularly bad when my balance is inverted, you know. Absolutely helpful and thoughtful. I would've been better off if I was stupid enough to decide to self-medicate with illegal substances. I'm now going to try and catch some sleep, since last night wasn't very good for that and I'm very tired and very much in pain.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

18-Nov-2014

The Head On My Shoulders

I woke up today with the worse headache I have had in a while. It feels like someone is banging my head against a concrete wall, while in the same time someone is trying to drill through my forehead. It's a total and utter disaster! I constantly loose vision for few seconds at a time since the pain is too strong. I'm really, really sorry, but I can't bear to watch at the screen right no. It's just too much.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

16-Nov-2014

Burn, Baby, Burn

I'm running a horrible fever and haven't been well since last night. I'm having high temperature and I'm swinging between shivering to over-sweating. It's intense and insane. It's getting better, definitely, but I had a horrible night last night when I couldn't sleep for feeling utterly unwell. I even had to ask not to go to work today for I couldn't stay on my feet. And I'm having the worse of headaches, just because. And my whole body is stiff. So, yes, you get the idea.

I guess that I have nothing left to do but watch series and read books and try to rest and get better. Hopefully I'll be back up again tomorrow!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

11-Nov-2014

All Done

You have to believe me when I say that I feel tremendous joy every time I finish an essay. Especially if I manage to do so more than 24h before the deadline. All of the sudden I just feel so light and fresh, like nothing can ever get me and harm me. Like the world is no one's but mine!

However, I don't have the time to celebrate today, since I have to hurry up and go to work now, but later tonight there will be celebratory apple slices with peanut butter, the best thing ever if you are cutting down on the sugar, like me... Mmm

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...