quote of the day; March 27th 2017

A little reminder to brighten up and make your day:

''Be present. Make love. Make tea. Avoid small talk. Embrace conversation. Buy a plant, water it. Make your bed. Make someone else's bed. Have a smart mouth, and quick wit. Run. Make art. Create. Swim in the ocean. Swim in the rain. Take chances. Ask questions. Make mistakes. Learn. Know your worth. Love fiercely. Forgive quickly. Let go of what doesn't make you happy. Grow.'' - Paulo Coelho

uninspired;

I've been uninspired lately.

Maybe it's because my stress levels are going higher everyday.

All I do is stare at the empty pages of my notebook and feel sad because I can't write. And not writing turns me into a strange soulless person that I can't barely recognize..

xoxo MacQueen98.

quote of the day; March 25th 2017

Just a little reminder for someone very important in my life.

qotd: ''Just because you're lonely doesn't mean you should invite someone toxic back into your life.'' -anonymous

the real problem of our generation;

Dear angel,

Have you ever overthought the idea of perfection? Have you ever strive for it? Have you ever complained or accused your very own self for not being "perfect" or good enough?

If you answered yes to at least one of those questions we unfortunately are in the same page. I won't pretend for a single second that I don't struggle for "perfection" myself as a teenager of this current generation. If you actually take the time to think about it you'll realize how pathetic is to struggle and strive for something that doesn't even exist.

We live in a world where social media are fully in control of our own lives. They tell us the way we should be dressed, look and think. They can also take fully advantage and control of all of the things we say or like. It's sad if you think that the media define exactly what perfection nowadays should look like. They turn us into something soulless and stupid.

Have you ever seen the way our generation treats all of those brave souls that are not afraid to be themselves and are different from anyone else? Be honest for a second and think if you have ever secretly admired anyone that's different from the crowd. Our generation tends to hate and bully all those people that don't fit "their" standards. And the funny thing to all of this is that they are not even their standards to begin with.

See the truth is that we all know but no one really wants to admit nor say out loud is that social media are the principal and determinant reason for every bad thing that's currently happening in the world.

Don't let them control and ruin your life,
xoxo MacQueen98.

The Notebook

Dear angel,

I hope you're doing well. While I was watching The Notebook for the hundredth time something caught my attention and caused me to dedicate an entire post to it. A letter that Noah wrote to Allie couldn't get out of my head. So, I wrote it down. Yeah, I wrote every single word that was in that letter down. To make you feel what I felt, to make you think what I thought..

My dearest Allie,

I couldn't sleep last night because I know that it's over between us. I'm not bitter anymore, because I know what we had was real. And if in some distant place in the future we see each other in our new lives, I'll smile at you with joy and remember how we spent the summer beneath the trees, learning from each other and growing in love. The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that's what you've given me. That's what I hope to give to you forever.

I love you.
I'll be seeing you.

Noah.  

Don't Forget to smile,                                                                                  
xoxo MacQueen98.

What means home to you?

Some of us say that home is a place, others believe that home is a person. I asked people of different ages, genders, religions and cultures this very simple yet interesting question.

"What means home to you?"

"Home for me is a place that you love while you're being loved. A place where you feel comfortable and you can open the fridge at any moment." -E, 31 years old

"A place that I feel safe and accepted. Whatever the circumstances might be." Ε-Κ, 17 years old

"Home for me is my room. Where I have peace, no one bothers me and I can do whatever I want." -G, 15 years old

"For me home is a person." D, 19 years old

"Two words: refuge and nest." -Μ, 49 years old

"For some people it might be a place, a human being or a feeling. For me it's all of the above, which is why I find it so hard to feel like I'm "home" because places are being destroyed and humans are getting hard and feelings are fading away. I admire people who feel like the whole planet is their home, it's inspiring. Maybe someday I'll see it that way too." EL, 17 years old

"Home is a place that accepts me. A place where my family and friends are, a place where I feel safe and loved. It also means my country, my city, the place where I grew up and made all my connections, where I lived my life and found my place in this world. I have a lot of different meanings for the word home but if I could sum it up in one sentence it would be something like: Home is where the heart is." M, 19 years old

"Home is a place you can feel comfortable cooking breakfast in your pajamas. It's also anywhere where you can be yourself without worrying you'll be judged." -D, 17 years old

"Home to me means residence. A place where I can live." -S, 59 years old

As for myself; home is place where I feel safe and accepted. A place where I can be true to myself without worrying that I would be judged about it. A place that's filled with love kindness and happiness.

*A huge thank you to everyone that answered my question.*

What means home to you?

xoxo MacQueen98.

Interviewing a Fashion Blogger: Marta Carvalho

Last year, I discovered Marta's blog through her instagram account and I've been loving it ever since! A few moths ago I contacted her in order to express my feelings about her blog. One thing led to another until I found myself asking for an interview. Since she clearly accepted my offer, meet my internet friend Marta Carvalho.

Hello Marta. I'm really glad to have you at my blog. Can you tell us a few things about yourself?
Hello Katerina, thank you so much for inviting me! I’m a twenty year old fashion design student from Portugal. I’ll be graduating from college next July and then, well, all the options are open.

How did it all started? What exactly inspired you to start your own fashion blog?
I’ve always loved fashion and writing, so fashion blogs in general have been an interest of mine. I created “La Veine” when I started thinking about interning at a fashion magazine and realized it would be nice to have a platform to show other people my articles. So even though my blog is fashion themed, it’s not as visual as the majority of fashion blogs; I write a lot more and cover a variety of subjects!

Describe your style in 3 words.
Random, moody and casual.

What's your go to outfit?
Black jeans, ankle boots, a soft sweater, leather jacket and cat-eye sunglasses.

What's your biggest dream?
Having a job that challenges and fulfills me everyday, and being surrounded by interesting people.

Name 5 things you cannot live without.
Pasta, my weekly planner, mascara, my computer and a scrapbook.

What are your plans for the future?
I hope I can do an internship at a fashion magazine after I finish college, and then everything will depend on the experience I have at the internship. Maybe I’ll start working at the same magazine, maybe I’ll move to another country and find a new job. My plans right now are very flexible because there are a lot of factors to keep in mind, but I’m pretty excited about the unknown.

What advice would you give to someone that wants to join the fashion industry?
Talk to people in person when asking for something (invitations for an event, partnerships, jobs, etc). Writing an email is easier, but if you show up at the place and introduce yourself people will remember your face and you’re more likely to succeed. Everyone in fashion is tired of the lack of human contact caused by technology, even if it doesn’t look like it. Also, don’t give up. Some things are hard to obtain but there’s always another way. At least that’s what I keep telling myself!

Who's your fashion icon?
Lauren Bacall is my ultimate icon, fashion and beauty wise. No matter her age, she always was beautiful and elegant.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Living in a cool apartment full of books with my boyfriend and a dog, writing articles for magazines and maybe designing clothes just for fun.

What's your favorite fall trend?
Any piece in dark Velvet.

What advice would you give to your 16 year old self?
Be careful when choosing people to live and to work with.

What's the best thing that happened to you today?
I had some great ideas for my next blog posts.

What's your dream destination? Where do you desire to travel the most?
Italy! I’ve been to Milan already but I want to know the whole country. The truth is, any place in Europe is a dream destination for me.

Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I don’t know how to swim.

You can find Marta's work here.

Thank you so much Marta for answering to all of my questions. I really hope to meet you in person one day. Wishing you the best!

today.

I woke up with a headache.

Maybe because Christmas break is almost over and I unfortunately have to go to back to the reality that includes college.

Maybe it's because I'm getting stressed over it. Maybe I'm not ready to give up on my free time yet.

I might want something else from my life, something that doesn't include my eight hour presence on daily basis. It might be my body's way of telling me to back away because deep down I know that I deserve a lot more than what college has to offer.

xoxo MacQueen98.

the perfect date

Dear angel,
In the begging of August my childhood best friend and I had a lovely coffee date in our small but yet beautiful hometown. After spending hours of giggling at each over's expressions and talking about nothing in particular we left the coffee place, took a bus to the city and bought some lingerie from our all time favorite Italian brand "Intimissimi". This might sound a bit bizarre to you but that's our definition of a perfect date.

I know that today's the first day of 2017 but my mind is still stuck in all those wonderful summer days that I experienced only a few months ago. I'm not going to lie to you and pretend that I captured this shots today when I know that I didn't. This was a throwback letter you -hopefully- enjoyed.

Don't forget to smile,
xoxo MacQueen98.

creative Saturday

Dear angel,

According to a Greek phrase a good day starts with a good morning. Despise the fact that I am Greek I am a truly believer of that phrase simply because no matter what happens afterwards you know you have had a good day. There's nothing more relaxing to do on a Saturday morning than read a really good book, listen to some old good jazz music and write a few thoughts, poems, quotes or stories while laying in bed for plenty hours..

Don't forget to smile,

xoxo MacQueen98.

nightdreaming

{ Serres, Greece }

Dear angel,

The clock says 4 a.m. but I can't sleep. Not right now. I've always loved those quiet night hours.The black sky in cooperation with that priceless silence worth way more than people can realize. Together they create something so poetic and inspiring. They're the simple things that matter to me a lot. Things such as how nice the city looks from the balcony right now or how quiet everything seems to be. I'm way too affected by the view in front of my eyes. Everyone's seems to be sleeping but not me. Writing is the only thing I am sure I want to do for the rest of my life. It's funny how most people don't realize the true power of it. The power of taking you in places you wish where, saying the things you always wanted to tell to those people that truly matter. You might not be able change something you've done in the past but you can always give it the end you secretly wished it had. It takes you in magic places you've never been before. As you can see, writing is my one and only escape from the world we live in.

Yours truly,
MacQueen98.

books n peaches

{ First week of August // Touzla, Greece }

Dear angel,

I've had a lovely afternoon today. After the typical wake up - go to the beach - swim at the sea morning combo I came back home slightly tired. There was nothing better for me to do than consider this as a serious excuse to spend a ridiculous amount of time reading a book. This time I've decided to be a bit fancier than usual though by pairing my natural habitat with a tasteful fruit. Peaches are one of my ultimate go-to fruits for summer. The time went by so quickly with me flipping around my book's pages while tasting a fruit's sweetness.

Don't forget to smile,

xoxo MacQueen98.

Thank You: A special letter to all 10.000 of you

Dear angel,

I hope you're doing well. Although today's Sunday I do have a few things that I'd like to share with you. I can't even begin to explain how excited I am right now. Thanks to all of you we hit 10.000 views in less than two years. It's insane to even think that ten thousand human beings all around the world have spent a few moments of their life reading something that I wrote. Words can't even begin to describe everything that I feel right now. I can't stop smiling. When I first started my blog about one and a half year ago a lot of things (that I'm not much comfortable sharing with you yet) where happening at my life. "Things" that almost broke me. "Things" that made me realize how important life truly is. Thing ms that made me crave an escape from everything that was going on. On February 26th 2016 this place also known as MacQueen98.blogpost.com was found. This blog has had a special place in my heart since day one and still does.

Thank you, for your constantly love and support.
Thank you, for all the time you spent at this platform.
And lastly thank you, for the smile you put on my face.

Yours truly,

MacQueen98.

embrace your difference

Dear angel,

Today's letter is a phrase, a saying, a quote and a slightly different piece of art of mine so please be honestly kind.

There's nothing wrong
with being and thinking
different from the masses.
Not being brave enough
to embrace the only thing
that separates you
and makes you unique
and different from the others
is the only thing that's truly wrong..

Don't ever be afraid of being yourself and being different,

xoxo MacQueen98.

homemade cupcakes

Dear angel,

Today was lovely. There's nothing better to do on a late fall Sunday morning than baking. My mother and I had such a great time together. From the first years of my life baking was one of my ultimate favorite things to do with my mother. It's amazing how you can spend some quality time with someone you truly love while doing something fun and beyond delicious at the same time. We prefer our cupcakes without a frosting so we just kept them simple and pared them only with some powdered sugar. With that being said here's our version of the globally well known "chocolate cupcakes".

Don't forget to smile,

xoxo MacQueen98.