Tag Archives: Reading

Currently Obsessed With…

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1. Shamballa Bracelets – those babies are popping up everywhere, from blogs, to Olympian’s wrists:

2. Origins VitaZing SPF 15 – it hydrates, energizes and protects to maintain skin’s momentum all day. I love it!

3. The Balm’s Nude Tude palette and Translucent Powder – Sexy Mama - I just got those from HauteLook.com the other day – and am in absolute delight :)

4. Reading Face Forward by Kevyn Aucoin

5. Styling Denim shirts – I’ve got 3 of those already :)

Happy Friday everyone, what are you currently obsessed with?

xo,

Zhenya

PS. I also thought that Vika Komova totally deserved gold today, she was wonderful in her last routine!

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Days off are for…

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I was more than excited to get Wednesday off. I honestly love getting a random day off in the middle of the week from my retail job, no seriously I do. I would rather work over the weekend or something, than 5 days in a row. Call me crazy, whatever.

Plus when one of my best girlfriends is in town only during the week, a day off is a must :) So today wasn’t about laundry or chores or dishes (I did do the latter and ran my usual 2.5 miles), instead it was about a trip to one of the Calhoun beaches, Jamba Juice and doing nails!

View of downtown Minneapolis from Lake Calhoun, look how tiny the buildings are!

Kara and me in front of my building, we haven’t taken a picture together in forever, so today was a day to fix that:

I am also rocking my Ralph Lauren shirt, I got it last week at Opitz, if any of you remember! It’s amazing, my new favorite piece of clothing to wear these days!

And finally we went to the Russian store in Eagan (my Birthday is coming up, so I wanted my cake to be from there and only there) and MoA. I got some Birthday gift certificates from Aveda, and was anxious to use them. Look at my two awesome presents – a massage oil and perfume. I got to pick the scents too! It was super fun!

I hope you love your days off as much as I do and spend them if not with a purpose, but with a good friend :)

xo,

Z

2012 Resolutions! Because you gotta have some!

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Alright, are you ready for mine? If you are making a list on your blog, let me know, by leaving a link below, I am so curious to see what other people are putting on their list! Xoxo

1. Read more, and not just check out books from the library, but take my Nook out! I haven’t read it since my flight in July! How crazy is that??? And it’s full of great books! Trust me!

2. Get a job! And the one I like too!

3. Eat healthier (yes, I am talking organic, and if you are going to hate me for becoming one of those Trader Joe’s freaks, oh wait, I think they are called hipsters, well it’s your choice :) )

4. Stop buying make up! I have plenty, so I am not going to buy anything unless I run out, or unless it’s given to me as a gift!

5. Do at least one DIY project a week for you, my lovely readers!

6. Keep working out (I’ve been doing a pretty good job, so I just want to continue)

7. Go to Colorado! (Yes, Doug and all my other CO friends, I am putting this on the list!)

8. Go to a Twins game, preferably when they will be playing Phillies, so that I can watch the latter win!

 

 

 

9. Bring my mom over for a visit!

10. Become a better organizer!

 Don’t be shy! Share yours!!! Happy 2012!

Book Endings. Happily Ever After.

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Ideas for blog posts come to me unexpectedly, in some unusual places and situations. This one came to me at church! I remembered the good old story of “Footprints”, and how popular it was about 10 years ago. I also remember how back in high school one of my friends gave me a sci-fi book to read, and said that I was going to like the ending. Well, when it came to the ending, it was something I already knew! Translated into Russian story of Footprints! My first reaction was – SERIOUSLY? and then I had to break the news to my friend and say that I’ve already read the story, and more over, the story was of a religious origin! Yeah, I think that friend is still amazed at the rip-off. I mean, you (the author) has just written an entire book, and he/she couldn’t write their own ending?

So this got me thinking about the different book endings. I decided to pull some books off my shelf and do an experiment. These are the endings I have read:

- And so it is!

- They look just like Jesus!

- After all, – thought I, – I’ll be able to buy a house here in a few years. And by that time, this cute butler, carrying my folding chair, won’t be as annoying!

- And, after hanging Hemul’s mittens on the front porch railing, where he would be able to see them, they entered the house, in order to fall back to sleep, waiting for spring.

- We will praise him for his plan and live for his purpose forever!

There are endings that make you cry, laugh, leave you indifferent, that you remember for the rest of your life, that you forget the next day, that inspire you, that demotivate or motivate you. Ever since I traded books for one of these

I almost feel like I have been reading less. And the desire to finish the book has switched from that eagerness to turn the last page, to eagerness to see that grey bar fill up all the way. Reading a nook for me is like a video game, or a program installation progress. It’s not done, until the bar is filled!

Endings wise though:  aren’t we all looking for the “Happily Ever After”? Sometimes I just want to fall back into childhood, where there was nothing, but fairytales, and imaginary creatures, and some occasional Shreks and Wicked Witches of the West! After all, it’s all relative.

Xoxo