Have a happy weekend

What are you guys up to this weekend? Any interesting and fun plans? I am going on a blind date (if you know me this is WAY out of comfort zone for me) and I plan to catch up on the Bachlorette. 

Here are few fun links for around the web:

 

Summer to do list if in Edmonton.

 

Nordstrom and Lulu's are having awesome sales. 

 

If you have blue eyes you might find this interesting..

 

Are single people happier?

10 travel hacks to save you time and money.

Happy weekend.

OOTD - Blue midi dress

It's back to the grind after a wonderful weekend, Edmonton weather has been amazing. While in Europe last month, we celebrate the marriage of one of my very close childhood friends. I must admit, it was a real struggle to find an appropriate dress to wear to the wedding; I checked all the usual spots and for some reason, all of my favorite stores were seriously lacking. After searching tirelessly for a dress, I decided that shopping online might be my only hope. I am not the biggest fan of shopping online at places that don’t have actual stores.. I am tall and I have to try things on since sizes and fits vary from store to store. I ordered this full midi dress from Lulu's and it was a perfect fit. The dress is a little out of my comfort zone but I think it was worth the risk.

 

 

Dress: Lulu's

Shoes: Town Shoe

Purse: Coach

Sunglasses: Chanel (old, similar here)

 

Midi-skirts and dresses seem to be all the craze now days; I must admit I see why, they are fun and chic.

 

Different.

One of the reasons I started this blog was a creative outlet but more so a way to help me develop my confidence. And with the risk of sharing too much I am going to tell you a story... for as long as I can remember I have been in an abusive relationship, directly or indirectly. Growing up I thought that's just how things are; learned to expect the worst in people and at a very young age and that happy endings and fairy tales were strictly reserved for things that happen in books and as a pigment of my imagination.

As you can imagine growing up this way, you struggle with relationships and on the rare occasion you let someone in you get hurt; and every time after that, you build walls so high around you to protect yourself. At some point it gets easier to just not let anyone in. Being bullied or abused, physically or mentally or even just witnessing it takes a toll, from which many people don't recover well from.

Some are strong and fortunate to be able to walk away and start clean while I fell so far down the rabbit hole of no return that I wouldn't even know what any other way would be like. Somewhere along the way I made decisions that help me stay very much enclosed in those very safe walls I have built for myself... One of those things was a decision to not get married or have kids. Being Bosnian that's anything but normal and what society expects you to do; so time over and again I get asked "oh when are getting married" & "you don't have much time"... Then you get to a point where they don't even ask and just assume there is something wrong with you... That you are broken; while some people think I can be fixed,  others just say horrible things that push you further down that horrid rabbit hole full of insecurities and doubt. So when do you start believing that you are broken? When do you accept that something so wrong with you?? I could have saved myself all the trouble and got married, and been like everyone I was expected to be like; would have done same as everyone & did what I was expected to do.

So why didn't I? I didn't because my past and circumstances made me different, for better or for worse, I was different.

Moral of the story: what might seem like an insane thing to you or very different thing might be someone's very difficult reality. Never assume that just because someone is different that is because they are trying to be cool, stand out ... some people don't know how to be anything but completely different. If you are struggling with bullying or abuse please remember you are not alone. There is people you can talk to and you get support if your need it. Don't let it swallow you and push so you so far into the darkness; don't let it become you and take over your life. Never let being different bring you down; stand up for it. I for one, appriciate the different.

love, N.

Home made Starbucks oat fudge bar

I love Starbucks. My vanilla bean latte and oat bars are big part of my routine. While my daily trips there haven’t quite slowed down, at least not buying these oat bars is both saving me money (and calories). I have tired many variations of this recipe, however this one seems to hit the spot. They are sweet and definitely very rich; It's surprising how the taste is very similar, even slightly better with the home version.

 

I do recommend letting the squares completely cool, before cut into small squares and freezing them. They taste better the next day when they're completely cooled. ENJOY!

 

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups oats

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 cups chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter at  room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

In a large bowl mix butter, sugar and eggs.

In a large bowl mix flour, soda and oats and add slowly to creamed mixture.

When mixed well,spread 3/4 of this into a (9x13) pan.

Melt all remaining ingredients in a saucepan and pour over dough in pan.

Put the the remaining oat mixture on top of the fudge.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.

 

 

Monthly beauty round up: April

I’m constantly trying new skincare and beauty products, but even with a rotating roster of cleansers, mascaras and lotions, I come back to my favorite formulas again and again. Since I have sensitive skin, I look for things that are hypoallergenic, offer SPF and a good cleanser.  I am always interested in knowing what products have staying power for other people, so I thought I'd share products that I keep coming back to all the time.

I have been using the AVEENO® Fresh Essentials Nourishing Moisturizer SPF 30, Hydrating Night Cream and Daily Exfoliating Scrub for few months now. I originally received it complimentary from Aveeno but since then have bough it on monthly basis. This specific line of Aveeno has everything I look for in a skin care routine and even with my hyper sensitivity the product did wonders for my skin. Edmonton is a very dry and cold place which only add to my struggle to keep my skin looking healthy and glowing.

The Daily Exfoliating Scrub was just the right balance of deep cleansing and mild enough to use everyday.  The AVEENO® Fresh Essentials Nourishing Moisturizer SPF 30 is oil-free moisturizer that made my skin feel and look healthy and I love that it protects my skin from harmful UV rays. The night cream offered a lot of hydration but it wasn't to heavy so it didn't clog my pores or cause me to break out.  Fresh Essentials offers antioxidants and vitamins that made my skin brighter and more even toned.

Have you even used Aveeno? What are some of the products you keep going back to?

*This post is sponsored by Aveeno .Thanks to Aveeno for sponsoring this post, and as always all opinions and experiences are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support letterstoLALAland.com