ANOTHER AWARD!

       Wow! Another award in one week! I'm speechless with all the love I'm receiving from my fellow bloggers.

       This is called the 'VersatileAward' and it is all about recognizing budding talent in bloggers. It was handed to me by the lovely Michelle at Follow me Home (Check out her blog - smart engaging writing!). Thank you for the thumbs up, Michelle!

       To earn it I have to list 7 random facts about myself.

Here they are:

 

   1.  I love cooking but have somebody else clean the   

        mess after me

                                                        

                                  cause...

 

 

   2. I hate doing the dishes! (dishwasher or not!)

 

 

   3. I love travelling (but believe it or not I have not been to

       Mykonos!)

 

 

   4.  I'm a control-freak!

 

 

   5.  I didn't believe in love at 

        first sight until I met my

        husband!

 

 

 

 

   6. Bitch is my middle name (people say it like it's a bad thing!)

 

 

 

   7. This is my car !!!

       (in another dimension!) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

       I have to pass the award to 7 other deserving bloggers and my choices are:

1. http://bakinginatornado.blogspot.gr/
2. http://babyboomerlaughline.blogspot.gr/
3. http://thisbitchrocks.blogspot.gr/
4. http://takingachanceinlife.blogspot.gr/
5. http://joliluja.wordpress.com/
6. http://janeridgewood.blogspot.gr/
7. http://kiddilemma.blogspot.gr/

I hope you'll stop by their blogs and enjoy them as much as I do!

Here are the Rules for the Versatile Blogger Award:

1. Add the award to your blog.

2. Thank the person who presented it to you.

3. List seven random facts about yourself.

4. List the rules.

5. Pass the award on to seven other bloggers.

6. Inform each blogger they have won by posting a comment on 
    their blog

 Happy blogging my friends!

 

 

MY FIRST AWARD

MY FIRST AWARD

 

                                    

        I was so shocked two days ago when Karen from Baking in a Tornado nominated me for the Liebster award. I was ecstatic! I was doing a happy dance around my kids and husband and they were giving me  those funny looks, "Oh, yes, she's gone..." And I didn't even have a clue what the Liebster award was!

       You see, I started blogging about 10 months ago. I had never read a blog before and wasn't familiar with the term blog, either. I created a blog as a creative outlet and an escape from the SAHM routine. A hobby, if you will. I did a lot of research, a lot of experimenting and a lot of trial and error efforts. Very few people were reading it cause I hadn't done anything to attract traffic. I didn't know! When I stumbled upon bloggers.com (thank you bloggers) less than a month ago everything changed. My static, lonely blog came to life and got readers/fans.

       I'm writing all this to explain to you why I was so surprised about the award as I consider the blog to be basically only a month old. That is also where Karen first found me and I have to thank her for giving me this award. It means a lot to me because it's a validation that my efforts  were finally not in vain. You have to go visit her at Bakinginatornado, a fun blog written by a talented woman. Sincere, funny and witty!

        Now, let me tell you a few things about the award.

       The Liebster Award is given out by the winner blogger to other up and coming bloggers as a way to spread the word about smaller blogs who deserve a larger audience. This award is an honor, but once nominated, you must follow some rules to earn it. They are:

1) You must list 11 things about yourself.

2) Answer 11 questions put to you by person awarding you.

3) Choose up to 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers and make 
    up a list of 11 questions for them.

4) Go to your nominees’ pages and inform them of the nominations.
 

So....here are 11 facts about me (randomly presented):


   1.

   2. I'm a Greek goddess! (but I don't live
       on Mt. Olympus).

  


   3. My kids think I'm a 'cool' mom! 
       (unless they cajole me)

   

   4. I hate the cold but can't stand the heat either! (What?!) 

 

   5. I love dancing!

 

   6. I love any praline + chocolate     combinations!


   7. Yes, I am bossy but I do it
        with love!


   8. I am a Pre (?) - Menopausal
       woman with a Mid-Life Identity
       Crisis!

   9. We have a dog named Candy.

 

  10. I'd like to get my hands on Aladdin's lamp!!!

 

  11. I just loooove house chores. NOT!!!

 Here are the questions asked of me by Karen and my answers:

1) How long did you think about it before deciding to blog?

 

-- Not long at all. My best friend Helen during an evening visit talked 

   to me about blogs,etc. The idea thrilled me. Next morning I had a

   blog!



2) Have you ever just completely taken a day off from all things blog?

-- Seldom and usually not by choice!

3) Have you done guest posts on other blogs?

-- No, not yet. I'd like to, eventually. It's too soon now, I feel.

4) Have you or would you host guest posts on your blog?

-- I suppose, I would.

5) Have you ever said anything in a blog that you wanted to take back?

-- No, I don't think so.

6) What’s your favorite season?

-- Spring!

7) What’s your favorite song?

-- Too many to list. There isn't just one. Samples: 'Unbreak my 
   heart'-Toni Braxton, 'I was made for loving you'-Kiss, 'What is
   love'-Haddaway, 'Woman in love'-B.Streisand, etc.etc.

8) If you could live anywhere, where would you live?

-- Tough one! I'm between USA (my former address) and Greece.

9)Name one food you just can’t stand.

-- Artichokes,yak, and anything with coconut or cinnamon!

10) What’s your favorite secret indulgence?

-- Twix, Kinder bueno, Ferrero Rocher chocolate and Godiva
   chocolate!

11) What one thing do you dread the most?

-- That would probably be earthquakes and we got enough of them
   in Greece.
                             -------------------------------

       As a recipient of the award it is now my privilege and duty to pass it on to other bloggers. My nominees are: (check out their blogs)

http://takingachanceinlife.blogspot.gr/
http://joliluja.wordpress.com/
http://ramblingsfromanupsidedownlife.blogspot.gr/
http://lastunturnedstone.blogspot.gr/
http://janeridgewood.blogspot.gr/
http://xcartwright.blogspot.gr/
http://kisskissbyklee.blogspot.gr/
http://tastefullyfaith.blogspot.gr/

       Follow the rules I had to follow (listed at the beginning of the post) and answer my 11 questions:

1. Why do you blog?
2. Which is your favorite post? (link?)
3. Have you ever received negative comments and how did you handle  it?
4. If you were a movie character which one would you be?
5. What is your favorite dessert? (If you have posted the recipe make a link to it!)
6. What is your worst personality trait?
7. 'Avengers' or 'Transformers' ?
8. If you could travel in time in which chronological period and where in the world would you go to?
9. What is your favorite book?
10. Which quote/saying do you live by?
11. If you weren't answering these questions right now what would you be doing instead?





       I'm really excited to read all the posts!

 



       Thank you, again, Karen. I’m really touched with the love and  support I’ve had in such a short period of time and I'm really excited to share with other blogs.

 

 

 

SUMMER VACATION 2012 (PART 4)

               

PHOTOS

                    (PART 4: Places we visited)



An oak tree with a story. Legend has it that when this tree dries up the village will disappear (meaning it will be completely deserted and become a ghost town).

       Okay, Part 4 and last! I know it almost became a TV series but I took soooo many photos and I wanted to share them with you. I really hope you enjoyed them and I didn't tire you!

 

       Well, here I have some photos from my mom's hometown. My mom spent her childhood on the high and rugged Pinthos mountains of Ipiros, in a village of the Souli area, called Agia Kiriaki. Back then, it was a very large and thriving village but as people started migrating to flat lands of lower altitude the village gradually became decayed and abandoned. Today, very few people (mostly of old age) remain in the village. 

 

Ruins of what once used to be a house

 

SUMMER VACATION 2012 (PART 3)

               

PHOTOS

 
                    (PART 3: Plants and Animals)

      The vacation saga continues with Part 3 (check out Part 1 and Part 2) - interesting plants and animals (we don't encounter in the city).





Every village in the Greek countryside has a "platano" tree (which is a kind of Sycamore Maple tree) in the middle of the village or town square. It offers plenty of shade and often tavernas set their tables right under its branches.



This next plant really astonished us with the pretty complexity of its flower bud...

SUMMER VACATION 2012 (PART 2)

                                                 PHOTOS 

(Part 2: Ocean and river)

       OK here's Part 2, the photos I promised of the ocean and the river. As I mentioned in Part 1, we stayed in a small village called Ammoudia, which is located on the banks of the river Acherontas AND by the ocean! 

      As the beach was only about 100m away from the hotel we...

                      ...were walking through the trees..

...across the hot sand...

SUMMER VACATION 2012 PART 1

                                                 PHOTOS 

     (Part 1: Destination 2012 = Ipiros)

      A very long way from Athens in the northwestern part of the country lies Ipiros (look at the map). It is 520 km (323 miles) away from Athens. It is my mother's hometown and that's where we went to this year for our vacation. Last time we had been there was 6 years ago and the kids were too young to remember much.
     Well, we had a blast! I took so many photos I had to categorise them for the blog and show them to you in parts. 

AUGUST 15th: A FESTIVE DAY FOR GREEKS

      [I know I promised vacation photos but this post really precedes it since tomorrow is a big holiday and I would like to tell you all about it (before and not after).]

VACATION IS OVER ! sniff !

       Just returned from a wonderful 2 week vacation and with the kids having spent another 3 weeks at my in-laws (prior to that) you can just imagine the laundry load.

         Combine that with the back to work blues, the kids having lost any sense of schedule/routine

and the 43 degrees Celsius (or 109 degrees Fahrenheit) of lava hot and humid weather that we're experiencing right now,

I can only be thankful I was able to have a break and recharge my batteries or this would not be bearable!!!

       I will be sharing with you some of our travelling adventures and interests as well as some photos. I took so many photos I'll be posting them in 4 parts, 1,2,3 and 4. All I ask of you is for some patience till I get my household "straightened out"!

 P.S. Stay tuned as I'll be doing some minor improvements to the blog! I'm open to suggestions, please feel free to comment or contact me!!!

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HOW TO TIE A PAREO OR SARONG

      As you're preparing to go on vacation don't forget to check out these awesome ways of wearing your pareo. I only knew one or maybe two simple ways of tying them and was amazed at all the different ways one can wear a pareo or sarong and they are so easy! Especially during summer vacations they can become the central piece of your wardrobe. You turn them into different outfits and you won't have to go back to the room to change for lunch or cocktails.

Check out the video:

             

I think that most of these styles require a bigger than usual size pareo.

I have another really interesting video guide on how to wear your pareo or sarong:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PMkc1XDtKU&feature=related

Have fun!!!!!