Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

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Hello 2014,

You have arrived 3 weeks ago and I am sorry to say, you weren`t greeted properly since. I am not the biggest fan of resolutions, probably because I suck at sticking to them.

But, none the less, I have decided to dedicate a little post to this subject. Namely because I have read some wonderful posts regarding new year`s resolutions and was inspired by these lovely ladies - Gala, Jess (always!) and (you are going to laugh now) Jess. I just realized the name pun. Love it!

Anyhow, without any further ado, let’s see what could you do to make 2014 count.

Gala wrote this amazing article about so many inspiring and life-celebrating resolutions and challenges and stuff to do in 2014. It is a lovely omnibus of most inspiring articles she found around the internet that she finds to be helpful in enjoying life and in the end loving you more and better. My favorite was the one about how to spend more time away from the computer/internet and how to make that quality time for making more/most of life.

Jess Lively, wrote an amazing article about resolutions over at The Every Girl. She explains why she does not prefer them, what are the most common issues arising, and how to deal with all of that, and maybe to stay on track with good intentions to give your life more quality with these resolutions, or whatever you want to call them. I agree that it is hard, and I too have tried on more than one occasion, and failed. Just like she said, abandoned the whole concept after few stumbles. That`s why you should read Jess` articles about "shoulda" effect on your life and how to live better with intentions. With this in mind, see how 2014 intention calendar could help and maybe what books you could read.

And yes, I really do like Jess.

Jess from lovely blog Fashionmugging created a simple fashion&life resolutions list that does not put a lot of pressure, it is not (to) demanding and I thing sums up a lot of things we could (see no "should" // tnx Jess!) embrace and incorporate in our lives no matter the year, the season or time.

1. Buy less, choose well.
2. Wear heels and lipstick more often.

3. Less stress, more positive thinking.
4. Clean up the closet and giveaway old ones.
5. Be nicer to people.
6. Stick to the basics.
7. Blog and instagram more.
8. Organize better.
9. Restart the bag and holiday funds.
10. Do not forget that life is not perfect, but it does have great moments.


Don`t you just love her photo collage?


So, this is it. I just need to get a hold of a nice 2014 agenda, to keep record of my lists and goals, intentions and inspirations. I think I will do great.

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Thank you Mr. Picasso for these comforting words.

 

Title reference.

 

Love,

A.

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This is something a lot of us seem to forget sometimes, and I am happy to remind you and myself of this true statement. Thank you Victoria for inspiring me yesterday with these words. In the spirit of these thought I am making plans and goals to live my life with more intentions, and keeping this in mind I think that journey will be a bit easier.

To read more about the quote from the book and the author go here and here. And buy the book here. I hope you will like what these amazing women have for you. I think this book is amazing and I plan to read it.

For more tips and tricks on living with intention visit lovely Jess.

Have a lovely day <3

Love,

Agy.

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Life management: making things easier

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Now more than ever time management is of the essence for most people. We lead such busy lives and many people feel overwhelmed at times. It is a great accomplishment when we can balance all aspects of our lives perfectly together that we feel accomplished, fulfilled and happy. But sometimes that is not the case. And on top of everything feeling dried out and uninspired can really bring me down.

Having little helpers and knowing you are not the only one struggling can lift some of the heavy burden you are carrying. And reading fellow bloggers and their tips and tricks helps me to stay motivated and on the bright side of life.

I would like to share with you some inspiring posts from lovely Jess Lively, who continues to amaze and inspire me every day. Thank you. So, I mentioned time management, I truly suck at that. I am so forgetful and distracted all the time, I should be wearing sewed post-its on my clothes just to keep up with everything. There are so many apps for lists and to-do plans etc. I miserably and quite amazingly fail with each and every one of them. Now I have found a great recommendation at Jess`s blog, Teux Deux. Feel free to visit her blog and read the post in question. She posted pics and amazingly detailed explanations why this really might work and help. Even me. Here is to hoping!!

With our time management apps ready (steady-GO!) it important to have several things in mind to train ourselves to better time and life quality. Again, Jess has some amazing tips and advice. When to do something important (but not urgent) is an inspiring post about how to program your inner clock to be more responsive when it comes to recognizing that right time in our daily schedule to do the right thing that will pay off. For Jess that time is early in the morning, for someone else might be some other time during the day but what is important is that you recognize that time and use it effectively.

„But I can say that getting that work done early is not only making me more effective elsewhere in my business, but it also make me feel successful that day – no matter what else happens.“

 – Jess Lively.

And doesn`t that make us feel great and motivated to do more, and to be proud of ourselves and int he end, it might help us to get more organized and thus have more free time at the end of a day/week/month?! And yes, it is that easy, and I too am surprised (as Jess was too) that we didn`t realized and thought of that before/on our own. But no worries, it is not too late to incorporate this little advice into your life. Just be persistent.

Jess concludes her post with these smart and inspiring thoughts:

„Though this idea may not be ideal for everyone, particularly those with a full-time job or children, this concept could be adapted within a variety of schedules. Anything that is easy to do and also easy not to do, is easiest to do first.“

Now you just need to make this a habit and don`t forget to be grateful. Thank you Jess.

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`tis the season, winter is here

 Yesterday evening first flakes of snow came upon our town. It wasn’t much, most of it disappeared in just minutes, but it was wonderful as ever to stand and just stare at the dark skies, watching it fall, so quietly, peacefully. I am no lover of cold but snow always makes me so calm and peaceful.



This morning, sun came up and it is so bright, shining like crazy, so I don`t really see any chance of snow again tonight. But you never know. There is always hope. Snow always brings a child in me, I remember last winter I spent 3 hours alone building a snowman in my back yard (which is interestingly a front yard in Croatia) and I can`t wait to do it again this year. Temperatures are low (around zero +/- this morning) and perfect for snow. As you can see warm scarves and gloves are out.

These are some shots from last year. Can’t wait. Although when I remember it gets till -18 degrees, I do have some second thoughts.

photos - my instagram

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Art report: New York + London // A Collection Of Double Exposures By Daniella Zalcman

Two of the most photographed cities in the world, New York and London, photographed through the eye of Daniella Zalcman, in double exposure. She is an established NY photographer who moved to London. Her architectural background gave her the idea for this new project. NY+L. Love it!

photo source

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DIY - newspaper and eiffel tower kitchen curtains

Some time ago my husband and I decided to refurbish our dogs bed, which is a lovely small sofa we initially bought for our home office, but then our dog decided he liked it more than his new dog-bed. So, we bought this fabric on eBay and thought it would be more firm, thicker and more suitable for dog bed. If nothing more durable.

But in the end, this turned out to be a perfect fabric for curtains, which were due for a makeover as well.

And this Saturday evening I felt inspired to do a little DIY for our kitchen windows.

I am very satisfied with the result.

What do you think?

I have some fabric left, and I think another DIY project is in order. Cushins maybe?

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9 Rules for a Simpler Day

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Know What’s Important

Visualize Your Perfect Day

Say No to Extra Commitments

Limit Tasks

Slow Down

Mindfully Single-task

Batch Smaller Tasks, Then Let go

Create Space Between

Sometimes we all get overwhelmed by our plans and chores, our jobs and relationsgips. Then it is time to stop, revise the situation and reboot. If you are looking for simple ways to simplify your day/life, read this inspiring article. Its simple. Zen.

Have a nice day :)

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