Today, I am Homesick

As many of you reading this blog know, I moved here from Bosnia 14 years back. I visit home often but lately I have been experiencing overwhelming homesickness that comes with living overseas. No amount of years change the fact that  being an expat* (*a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than that of the person's upbringing.), kind of sucks.

Another thing you might know about me is that love to travel and had never actually felt homesick until I moved to Canada. Over years I have tried lots of things in order to deal with being so homesick all the time. Here are few things that help me cope in between those yearly visits:

*Skype & WhatsApp. These seem oblivious. Skype is the best way to see your family and friends I Skype with my friends at least 3 times a week, and my family will have Skype on while one of us is cooking or eating, and it makes it feel like we're just hanging out together and sharing a meal. WhatsApp is free texting (as long as you are on wife) I use this to talk to my friends on daily basis, same as we do when I am in Bosnia. Communicating about every day, about the little things, about day to day adventures really helps with dealing and coping with homesickness.

*Things will change back home. I visit yearly, however, each time I go my heart break a little since nothing stays the same. I understand life cant stop because I am not around to see it but in some weird way makes me feel isolated. People will move, friends will do different things, new building will come up and your favourite coffee shops might be closed but that’s life. Life constantly changes so make most of it.

*Have expat friends. This might be the only people who fully understand what you are going though.

*Keep your traditions and sense of home. Listen to music that make you feel at home, read your favorite books, flip though old pictures (or facebook), cook your favorite foods, and celebrate the holidays your current country might not have. All these little things will make your life easier. Always keep a little piece of home around, it warms your heart.

Don't get me wrong, I like my life here; I have a great job, amazing home and life isn't all that bad, however this doesn't change how often I feel home sick.

OOTD - Dusty Pink

The degrees of pink  on the color wheel are subtle and endless, but I don't discriminate - I love them all. As a fan of all things pink, I combined a dusty pink dress with a solid pink coat and nude shoes. I debated if I should keep the bag in same tone but I like the fact the bag stands out.

 

dress: Stradivarius

shoes: Valentino

purse: Chanel

coat: H&M

 

I searched for a blush coat most of spring and when I found this H&M coat just before summer started. Its light and the cut is simple and elegant.

Fall 2016 Trends - According to Letters to LALA Land

I love summer, and I mean LOVE. Arrive of autumn makes me sad, but since it gives me a reason to shop, and break out the jackets, layer up, and load up on cute ankle booties it makes it sort of bearable. Today we rounded few things we think will be big this fall:

 

Chokers

Everywhere you look people are now wearing chokers; I think statement chokers will be big this fall, especially after they were huge at both New York and Paris Fashion Week.

 

Rachel Zoe || Nasty Gal

 

Off the shoulder

This trend is here to stay; it carried over from spring, all the way through summer and I think it will continue well into autumn.

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Tan and Pink

Shades of pink and tan are everywhere. Especially in coats. Dusty pink and yellow combinations were all over all the stores while I was in Europe.

 

Lyst || Source

 

Metallic and Leather

Leather is always in (well at least in my opinion), but from what I noticed t both New York and Paris Fashion Week there was lots of leather, as well overwhelming metallic pieces. I do think the two make for a great combo. 

 

Few other things that will be big based on what was available in stores in Europe: pant suits, the no make up make up look, ruffles, and suede everything.

 

What do you think will be big this fall?

 

Nutella-Vanilla Ice Cream

I love ice-cream. My mom had this recipe for home made ice cream that she used to make us when we were kids... It was the BEST ice-cream ever. However after moving, war, moving, it got lost in the process. For last few years we tried different recipes and nothing came even close. Few months back, I found a recipe for a home made cream (sans ice-cream machine) and with few tweaks I found my new favourite ice cream... its not my moms recipe but I will settle for now.

Ingredients:

• 500 ml marscapone
• 400 ml heavy cream (or whipped cream if you prefer)
• 2 tbl pure vanilla extract
• 200 g Nutella
• 100 g honey
• 100 g powder sugar

Directions:

• In a bowl combine marscapone and heavy cream. Mix well
• Separate mixture in two equal portions
• Take one half of the mixture add vanilla extract, homey and powder sugar mixed well
• Mix the other half with Nutella, mix with a spatula until evenly mixed.
• Pour both mixtures in a glass container with a  lid and place in freezer
• it will be ready in 30 minutes.
• Serve over warm brownies or with fresh fruit

What is your favourite ice-cream?

City Guide: Dubrovnik, Croatia

Regardless of how many times I end up in Dubrovnik, the beauty and the sense of awe never seem to fail. The beauty of the old town, the city’s marble streets, the crystal clear Adriatic sea and the stunning architecture are reasons I go back to Dubrovnik. If you have never been, or you are lucky enough to visit often and need some new ideas of what to visit, here is the Letters to LA LA Land city guide to Dubrovnik:

Do and see in Dubrovnik:

Old Town:

This is a must see in Dubrovnik. It's where everything happens. Surrounded by the city walls is a network of streets filled with restaurants, bars and shops. This is also the place to be if you are Game of Thrones fan.

Ancient City Walls:

The walk is about 2KM and offers a fantastic view of everything. From the sight of the red tiled roofs to absolutely stunning views over the city of Dubrovnik.

Cable Car:

This might be the best way to see the city. Dubrovnik’s cable car whisks you from the city walls to Mt Srđ in under four minutes. The view is stunning, so I make a point of grabbing a coffee and lunch at the snack bar and a restaurant at the top. If you can make it during the day, and than stay to watch the sunset I promise the views are worth it.

City Harbor:

There is something about the harbor that I love. Watching boats come and go, the ocean under the changing sun that feels so romantic and peaceful. Lots of place to eat, drink and take in the atmosphere. This is where you take boat trips (if you are visitng the islands). City Harbor is worth doing and seeing the City from the water.

There options of beaches in (and around) Dubrovnik are vast. All of the beaches in town are pebble beaches, but with breathtaking emerald crystal clear water you can not go wrong with visiting any of them. My preference of beaches are; Lapad, Banje and Copacabana Beaches.

Dubrovnik is on the expensive side of things, but options for stay are endless. I would recommend Hotel Vis, Hotel Dubrovnik Palace and Hotel More. I like each for different reasons but what they do have in common is comfort, amazing service and breathtaking views.

Dining options in Dubrovnik are infinite, and I mean that. From high end restaurants to food carts you can pretty much get it all. Places I visit every time I am in Dubrovik are: Konoba Veranda, Nautika Restaurant, D'vino Wine Bar, Fish Restaurant Proto, Marco Polo and Tutto Bene. I have to shamelessly admit that we visit Tutto Bene and D'vino more often than we should (like daily).

Few (helpful) tips on visiting Dubrovnik:

Book your stay early. The city is big but busy and expensive. If you are booking last minute you might be forced to pay too much or your room will be far from everything resulting in additional taxi/transport cost.

The old town is built small, and offers narrow streets to begin with and when you add enormous crowds of tourists, it becomes overwhelming . It’s not just crowded, it’s super crowded, add summer heat and it’s a recipe for chaos BUT go early in the day or visit at night to have the best experience.

Buy water and snacks at local stores, not at the beach or your hotel lobby in order to save money.

Bring comfortable towels/mats to lay on. Every beach charges for chair rentals and some places charge upwards of 30kuna for the day.

There are TUN of tours available. Do your research and bundle if you can.

 Have you been to Dubrovnik? What are your favorite places to see in Dubrovnik?

If you are interested in full reviews of any places I have talked about here, you can check them out on Trip Advisor.

OOTD - Cropped to Perfection

My dilemma with crop tops was brought up on Letters to LALA Land before, mainly because majority of crop tops on the market are sleeveless, form-fitting, and resemble lingerie to some extent. This crop top is sleeveless, but it fits loose which makes it more flattering. I paired with a high waisted skirt which makes me appear slimmer. I paired it with simple black pumps, blazer and gold accessories for the evening out. 

What do you think? Lose fitting crop tops, yay or nay?

Top 5 Swim Suits For Girls With Big Boobs

Summer is all about the getting your bronze on, cause everything is better with a glow. For ladies with larger chests, tops can be a challenge on the regular; add to that the lack of cloth and you have an even bigger challenge. Here are some suggestions that provide support for those precious ladies.

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Don't let the word plus size scare you, you can buy this swim suit in XL and it provides coverage and makes your cleavage look amazing. You can also do water sports and not fear your boobs are going to pop out. This suit is also super affordable from Forever 21.

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This bikini top is perfect for the girls who are larger than a D-cup. It has underwire for extra support and comfortable shoulder straps. This top is available at Swimco it's a little pricer but for comfort it's totally worth it.

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Who says you can't have a fun top just because you have a larger chest check out this plaid number that has coverage and underwire from Venus.

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I know what you are thinking there is no way my boobs are going to fit in there, but be adventurous! The ASOS website says DD-G so it must fit. Considering the options for cute bikini tops are limited the larger your chest is, I was super excited when I came across ASOS I mean I would never consider that top but if it goes up to a G I will def try it!

What swim suit brands do you wear?

OOTD - Lace Detail

I love the delicate lace details on shirts and dresses. The detail usually makes the whole outfit feel so whimsical and feminine. I also love layering, so I paired this pretty lace bralette and a see though shirt, with a white skirt for a night out on the town.

Shirt: Vero Moda

Skirt: Zara

Purse: Steve Madden

Shoes: Marhsalls

Beauty Favourites: Products I Always Run Out Of (And Rebuy)

I love to try new products, usually I can't wait for whatever I'm using to run out so I can go out and buy something else to try. But there are a few products I am in love and will buy over and over again.

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Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer- For $12 you can't go wrong, the coverage is great. One thing I do note is that you should use primer before applying it as it can crease depending on your skin type. While this isn't the only concealer I own (can you say beauty junkie) I do buy this over and over. I like the coverage it provides and especially how cheap it is.

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QUO  Khol Eyeliner Black- The best eyeliner ever! It has staying power even if you put it on your waterline it stays there all day no smudging and the color is so dark with just one application. The only drawback I can see some people would have is that no matter what make-up remover you use it still never fully comes off. So the next day you will still have eyeliner on, as a lazy girl I have no problem with that. One less thing to do in the morning, I am in!

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Vaseline - This product is multi purpose, I use it for many different things from chapped lips, to under the eyes at night. It's so versatile and inexpensive, most people are scared to try it all over the face but I swear in the winter I use it all over and it leaves my skin feeling hydrated and baby soft. In the Summer I use it only under the eyes to help combat the dark circles.

What are your go to beauty products?

Cucumber Tartines with Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese

I think I am having Europe withdrawals, mainly because I miss all the food and desert and the people and the sunshine. Ok I miss it all, but this morning I woke up craving these cucumber tartines with smoked salmon & cream cheese I had almost every day while in Croatia. These are so easy to make, and are super flavorful and creamy, but still light and healthy.

Here is what you will need:

• 1 cup herb cream cheese, softened
• 1 large package of smoked salmon
• Slices of country bread (or homemade bread)
• Freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
• Sea salt (to taste)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tea spoon honey
• 1 cucumber

Directions:

• In a small bowl prepare the marinade by combining olive oil with honey and cracked black pepper.
• Toast the bread slices briefly and rub with pre made marinade
• Spread some of the cream cheese mixture on each one.
• Place piece of smoked salmon then top with cucumbers.
• Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper and serve immediately. 

These are perfect for brunch or get together with friends. What food do you crave from holidays you have taken