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Happy Weekend (Plus: Thoughts on Keeping an Editorial Calendar)

Made using the A Beautiful Mess photo app

Happy Friday, everyone!

What have you got planned for the weekend? We're taking Henry to the island of Aegina to visit with his Grandpa who lives over there. His house is stunning (and his pool, even more so) so it's always a treat heading out there. We can't wait to see what Henry thinks of it!

On a separate note, I'm thinking of starting an editorial calendar for this here blog. I love writing, but I find I have very little time for it, what with the new baby and all. I don't want writing to disappear completely from my life so I was hoping an editorial calendar will help keep me motivated and organised.

Do you guys keep an editorial calendar? Does it work for you?

Happy weekend!

For The Love of the Maxi Dress



Summer 2013 Maxi Dresses


Miss Selfridge flower dress, €50 / Floral print dress, €27 / VILA beach dress, €38 / Paprika tribal print dress, €12 / Jersey knit dress, €42 / John Lewis stripe maxi dress, €46 / DKNY mesh dress, €530 / H&M dress, €30 / Orange dress, €71

Now that summer is well and truly here, I'm on a serious maxi dress kick. Why don't I own more maxi dresses? Why aren't my hangers bowing down by the weight of them? Seriously, they are the perfect summer attire. Especially for someone like myself (ie. a new mother) with a fair few newly acquired lumps and bumps to hide.

It really doesn't take much to make a maxi dress look good. They're breezy and sexy, and when worn with the right accessories, can make you look super stylish and put together. Wear them with a pair of wedges and you're looking at supermodel levels of awesome.

I'm on the hunt for some good'uns, and until I find them I'm lusting after the beauties above. Can you believe how affordable most of them are?

What's your summer wardrobe staple?

Sunday Inspiration


How gorgeous is this print? Apparently, it's a quote from Anne of Green Gables. I haven't ever read the books, but I really like the sentiment behind this: you take out of life what you bring to it. Wise words we should all live by!

You can buy this lovely print from Little Things Studio on Etsy.
 
Hope you're having lovely weekends!

Sweet Treats Saturday

Happy Saturday! Say hello to my sweet blog discoveries of late...
Having recently been pregnant for the first time myself, I'm a sucker for (tasteful) new mommy blogs. The Framed Lady is just that. I just love Tess' take on the whole pregnancy thing and can't wait to read about her take on life with a newborn!

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LOVE AND LEMONS
I was completely sold on the name. I love everything lemon-y! But there's more than just lemons to this gorgeous food lover's site. You'll also find excellent healthy and seasonal recipes and one of the best recipe indexes I've ever come across. Bon apetit!

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M LOVES M
I too am an M who loves an M, so I couldn't resist Mara's blog. It's clean, it's fresh and she's gorgeous. Stunning fashion posts sit nicely next to delicious recipes. What's not to like?

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P.S. - If you'd like to be featured in a Sweet Treats Saturday post make sure you follow along and leave comments below so that I know where to find you! 

Hope you're having lovely weekends!

Rooting for the Underdog

  Photo edited using the A Beautiful Mess app

Nil pois. The UK has heard that phrase way too many times at recent Eurovision Song Contests.

Since the competition's inception in 1956 the UK has won five times (tied with Sweden, Luxembourg and France). Ireland has been the top overall winner having won seven times. The last time the UK saw a win was in 1997 with Love Shine a Light by Katrina and the Waves. Unfortunately, it's all been downhill since then.

Being one of the four biggest financial contributors to the competition (along with Spain, Germany and France) hasn't helped the UK gain any favours amongst music loving Europeans. Perhaps it's because they don't take the competition seriously. Perhaps they've been sniffed out. Or, perhaps it's because they pick godawful songs. Past contestants have included Engelbert Humperdink, Scooch and Jemini. Oh dear. 

It's a sad state of affairs for ol' Blighty - the UK has been in the bottom three, four times in the past ten years. They're recognized across the continent as sucking - quite badly.

Bonnie Tyler will be taking to the stage at the finals this Saturday night to represent her home turf. The music video for her song 'Believe in Me' takes cheese to a whole new level. But if the Eurovision Song Contest has anything going for it, it's definitely the cheese factor.

Whatever happens, it's always a good - nay, hilarious - laugh watching the competition and I'll be rooting for the underdog all the way.

Who will you be supporting in the Eurovision Song Contest this Saturday

Maria Loves... Caramel Cheesecake and A Beautiful Mess

How cute is this, right? I made it using the A Beautiful Mess photo app.

LOVELY LINKS

One of my favourite bloggers, Katie from House of Humble, has finally opened her Etsy shop, Dear Delilah. Her beautiful handmade necklaces and trinkets have set my heart a-flutter!

Have you seen this mind-boggling ad only children can see? It's for such a good cause too!

Some hilarious tips on how to nail parenting. I plan to implement more than a few of these!

Another one of my favourite blogs, A Beautiful Mess has just launched their own photo editing app (for iPhone only currently). It's choc-full of whimsy and all things pretty!

Oh, I've SO been there. This mother's letter to her heartbroken daughter brought tears to my eyes.

"I will always believe that you are entitled to share your romantic life with someone who honors and respects and loves you. A man who would move mountains, walk over hot coals and make whatever sacrifice is required to be your true partner."

A fun little game to test your geography skills. My scores are shockingly low. Eep.

This caramel cheesecake is just to-die-for. I think I might make it for the Eurovision party we're off to on Saturday. Woop!

This campaign to raise money to launch a publishing platform for beautiful work by women writers, photographers and illustrators is truly inspiring. They have 10 days to reach their $15k goal. Won't you help?

Make your own giant popsicle pinata. WOW.

This brilliant 19 year old Hungarian photographer imagines what the models of famous abstract paintings would have looked like. Surreal!


LOVELY THINGS

Morning baby smiles. Mini choc ices. Family BBQs. Finally learning to use our camera. Mother's Day gifts from my son (swoon!). Ankle weights. Summer rain. 

Happy Thursday! What are you loving today?

Where I Talk About Milestones

For my baby shower back in February, my sis got me this gorgeous baby memory book. It was the perfect gift. Its beautiful words and illustrations are a real treat to behold when recording all of baby's big milestones.

I love to document life (one of the many reasons I started this blog), so this book was the most wonderful gift I could have asked for. I started filling it in straight away, making sure to capture the exact emotions I was feeling at every one of Bubs' milestones - what it was like when we first brought him home, when he first smiled, his first trip out...

But way back when, before Hubs and I started talking about babies, I went through a phase of being quite skeptical about having children. I must have been going through some sort of quarter life crisis. I questioned whether we'd be able to afford one; whether I'd ever have maternal feelings; if we'd ever be able to go on far flung adventures again. 

And for some (now strange) reason I was also saddened by the thought that once I started to have babies, that the milestones of my OWN life would slowly come to an end. Once babies (and then teenagers) come into the mix, everything revolves around them. Their first steps. Their first words. Their first kiss, first boyfriend/girflriend, graduating from college, first job, first house, first baby... You get the picture.

While we were absolutely elated to find out we were pregnant, towards the end of my pregnancy, these feelings started to rear their ugly head again. I was about to have my FIRST baby. Once this gig was done, would I have any more 'firsts' of my own?
BOY! Am I a worrywart or what?! I'm very happy to report that now that this precious little bundle has entered my life, all that unfounded anxiety has gone straight out the window. What was I thinking?! There's a WHOLE NEW SET of milestones to experience with my little boy! HIS milestones are MY milestones. I don't remember MY first steps but I'll get to remember - and record, and photograph, and write about - HIS. And that's so much more fun! There are so many beautiful memories to be had. So many 'firsts' to experience all over again. 

The milestones aren't over. They're only just beginning!

And besides, I turn 30 in September. Surely THAT'S a milestone worth celebrating?

What's your next big milestone?

Sweet Treats Saturday

Take a gander at my favourite blog discoveries of late. Some lovely ladies in the mix this week!


SKUNKBOY CREATURES
She's got gorgeous style, fantastic red hair and the cutest kids EVER. Katie Shelton is a part of the A Beautiful Mess team, but I also love her personal blog for the snapshots of her adorable family life, her home and her creative pursuits.

Say hello! bloglovin' // facebook // instagram // twitter
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SWEET LAVENDER BAKE SHOPPE
Lovely photos coupled with mouth-watering immaculate baking creations keep me coming back to Christina's blog day after day. It's my guilty pleasure!

Say hello! bloglovin' // facebook // instagram // pinterest // twitter
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HENNA BLOSSOM
She's got gorgeous laid-back style, a stunning little boy and one of the funniest and friendliest voices I've come across on the blogosphere. It's a real treat to get a peek into Henna Blossom's (that's her real name!) daily life.   

Say hello! bloglovin' // facebook // pinterest // twitter 

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P.S. If you'd like to be featured in a Sweet Treats Saturday post make sure you follow along and leave comments below so that I know where to find you! 

Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

Maria Loves... Hidden Messages and Coconut Mint Ice Cream


Hah! In the summer, I'm a Frappuccino. Source

This Thursday, I'm loving these lovely links and these lovely things in life...

LOVELY LINKS

A really helpful post by Rachel Phipps on how she earns money through her blog.

I LOVE this theme for a wedding shower!

Have fun getting happy!

Check out what Facebook used to look like in 2004.

I've been on the hunt for a movie-making app for my iPhone and I think I've found it!

I love hidden messages in well known logos. The Tour de France was my favourite.

Coconut. Mint. Ice Cream. That is all.

Top 10 Superfoods for Glowy Skin as per The Happiness Cocktail. You'll be pleased to know that chocolate makes the cut!

Kaelah Bee offers some GREAT tips on how to spread the blogger love.

I finally gone and bought this from Jo Totes. And I plan to use it as a diaper bag. Thoughts?

LOVELY THINGS 

Dreamy kitty whimpers. Red velvet chickadee cupcakes (as seen here). Making silly Easter themed Vine videos. Purging. Sunset chats with family. Summer temps. Lunches overlooking pools. Happy meetings. BBQs. Reading on sun loungers. Skydiving charity donations. Baby yawns. Homemade choc chip cookies.  

I'm also really pleased I've managed to figure out how to read while walking Bubs around the room: holding him tight against me with one hand, while the other holds open a hardback. And it only really works with hardbacks. Bliss!

Hope you're having a wonderful week!

Easter and All That Jazz


What a wonderful weekend! I know it's already Tuesday, but I needed a whole day just to come down from my high! Easter just keeps getting better and better each year. A wonderful midnight feast at my aunt's house on Saturday was followed by an all-day all-you-can-eat fiesta at my mom's. I admire my mom for so many reasons. She's the kindest, most optimistic, most creative and talented person I know with the most infectious child-like enthusiasm. She acknowledges and appreciates the most simple things in life - the colour of fruit, the smell of a flower, the shades of the sunset. Needless to say, she put on an incredible spread for us all.

Her most creative pursuit was this this gorgeous candy cart which she unveiled to all of us on Sunday. She designed and built it herself from scratch - and made all the treats too! How amazing is she, right?! She's in the process of building up her baking company so if you want to follow her sweet adventures on Facebook, you can find at her at Vinta Truffles. She would LOVE to have you along for the ride!


I was really proud of myself on Monday. Some of my favourite shows air in the US on Sundays (Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Veep), and while I usually stream them as soon as possible the next day, this Monday, it didn't even cross my mind. Monday was a rare day off for hubby, so I really wanted us to spend it together as a family. Having spent most of the weekend with family outside of our little unit, I also didn't feel the pressure of using this time to see them.  Easter Monday was about me, Hubs and Bubs.

I think we also deserve extra kudos because we made a conscious (and successful!) effort to switch off. I allowed myself a day off from blog anxiety (that little invoice inside my head that says "you must post today - and every single day!") and didn't even turn my laptop on. I hardly even looked at my phone. Instead, we gathered Bubs in his mobile swing and headed to our rooftop pool. It was like getting ready for an outing at the beach, but we were going no further than up a flight of stairs. Hubs BBQ-ed some sausages and I dove head first into this little beauty.

I realise that we're very lucky to have the luxury of a rooftop playground. I have my parents to thank for it. There are lots of things I'm feeling grateful for lately. Most of all, my wonderful family. Every single one of them. I feel lucky for a lot of reasons, and most of these reasons stem from the people in my familia.

I have also come to terms with the fact that hubby and I live quite a sedentary life. I think that given a choice, we'd always choose our laptops, and I have no problem with this. But I'm very happy that we both acknowledge that we DO need to take a day off from screens and just be with each other.

And that's what I'm about to do.


Who or what do you appreciate most in your life? How do you show it?

Sunday Inspiration

Found on Pinterest

Julia Child's My Life in France has been on my Amazon wishlist for forever and I finally ordered it the other day. I'm so excited to finally sink my teeth into it! I fell in love with Julia Child after watching the film with Meryl Streep (who was sensational in it, by the way). I came across the above and thought it was so true and motivational. 

I think it's so hard to find things to be passionate about. So when you do finally find that one thing, hold on to it and don't let go!

P.S. If you know who created the above, please fill me in so I can credit it properly. Thanks!

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

*****

Happy Easter!


Happy Easter to those of the Greek Orthodox religion! We usually celebrate Easter a few weeks after Catholic Easter. Tonight, we go to church at around midnight to witness the resurrection of Christ.

It's always a magical time: the candles, the ringing church bells, everyone singing in unison. There's something about the whole experience that goes beyond religion. There's a certain feeling of togetherness. I really enjoy going to what we call 'Anastasi' (or 'Resurrection', in English), but we'll be missing out this year. We'll be staying indoors with Bubs as all the candles and fireworks can get a tad dangerous. 

On Sunday, we're heading over to Grandma's to celebrate the traditional way: with a lamb  on the spit and plenty of chocolate. It's a day of family, good food, good wine and so much joy.  This year may also see us taking the first dip in the pool!

Happy Easter one and all!

*****

8 Weeks



You're 8 weeks today! Totally unbelievable. Where did the time go?? It only feels like last week that we first brought you home! When we didn't know what to do with you, where to put you, what would make you the happiest little boy on the planet.

Now, a few weeks on, and we have a better idea. You LOVE to be walked around the room, cuddled and sung to and have your nose booped. I try to get some much required tummy time in, but my heart breaks to see you struggle on your tummy. Like Daddy says, you look a lot like a turtle that's accidently flipped itself onto it's back struggling to get back up again. But it needs to be done. You need to be able to lift your head up off the ground and have a little look around. You'll get a whole new perspective on the world.

You're coo-ing and gaa-ing like anything now! How can something so small have so much to say?! And you seem to have special little conversations with your Grandpa. He can look at you and talk to you for hours. You guys talk up a storm! Same with your Daddy. You seem happiest when you're lying on his chest, on your back, looking up - either at the lights or at Daddy's computer screen as he works on his movie. Or maybe, if the football's on, you'll be looking at the TV.

Your smile lights up the whole room. We live for the moments when you smile.

You've already outgrown your 3-month onesies and you're not even officially 2 months yet! Grandma is on her way now with a whole new wardrobe of what I imagine will be 6-month baby clothes.

This weekend will be your first Easter. We can't wait to dress you up in your fancy khakis and white Ralph Lauren Polo shirt that your other Grandparents got you. You're going to look so dashing!

I'm sure I've mentioned before, but you're driving us all a bit crazy with your little personality. You're the cutest baby we've ever laid eyes on and it's so wonderful to see you growing right in front of our eyes.

A happy (first) Easter to you, Bubs!

*****

Maria Loves... Croutons and Wunderlist

How lovely is this? It's my desktop wallpaper and you can download it from the Eat Drink Chic blog here.

It's that time of the week when I think back on all the things I've loved this week. I'll also start including my fave links (as it's all the same thing in the end, no??).


Lovely Links

These adorable grilled cheese croutons. Oh my.

Birthday cake martinis. Because, why not? And where on God's green earth can I get me some marshmallow vodka?

Gala Darling's 80s Teen Movie 8tracks mix. I was so born in the wrong decade.

Top 10 non-fiction books for the novel lover. I'm seriously into my non-fiction lately.

Wunderlist. Cos it now rules my life and I'd be oh so very lost without it.

This tree project makes me feel like a giant.

My fave daily newsletter, Emerald Street, turns two!

Coding for kids on the iPad. I'm getting Henry on this app asap.

Zara finally launched their maternity wear line. Just in time for baby no. 2?

I don't know about you, but I get a huge kick out of Vine. Here's a list of 10 Vine comedians to follow. The list is incomplete as it doesn't include my absolute fave, @WhoisMaxwell. His humour's not for everyone, but it's definitely for me!


Lovely Things

Fresh fruit markets. Chicken soup for the hubby's soul. Springtime! Brunch on balconies. Caffeinated coffee. Gold Class cinema experiences (it's the only way!). Iron Man 3 - better than I expected. Date nights. Planning for Easter. Thinking about summer vacation. The upcoming extra long weekend (5 days!). Naps with Bubs. Afternoon walks with Bubs. Baby foot prints. FINALLY signing up to cable TV. Wide open windows. Digestive biscuits dipped in coffee.

What are you loving this Thursday?

*****