June: 5 things that make this month amazing

For me May is an exciting month because I know that June is going to arrive soon with my birthday in it and the lovely warm weather. I am excited to spend my birthday in Greece and that I get to travel not only for business but also for pleasure.

May has been packed with tons of work and new exciting projects. My parents and my sister are coming to visit! I just can’t sleep counting the days until they arrive!

I can’t be more grateful for all that is happening: I finally finished the first draft of my book! I have been working so hard on it and finally it has some kind of structure. I battled with ideas and got inspired with a new ending. It’s a fiction novel that I have been working on in the past two years. I have really no idea when it will come out (or if it will ever come out) but I have my hopes high that someday it might.

1) Celebrating my birthday on June 5th.

I have to go to Greece to start an exciting project that we are working on (more details in the next couple of months) and I will get to spend my birthday with my family in Greece. How fun is that?! I have never spent a birthday there and I think it is going to be amazing having my grandmother and my family next to me.

2) Finishing the first draft of my book.

It may sound crazy, but I have developed a very strong relationship with my main character Thomas. So when the last page was being written I felt I was loosing something very close to me (I tried to explain this to Jimmy but he looked at me like I had lost my mind).

3) Finally going to the beach. 

We managed to squeeze in a little weekend get-away to Valencia last week since the weather was getting warmer. Unfortunately when we arrived the water was really cold but we got to soak in some sun and unplug ourselves from work for two days. I am thrilled for my trip to Greece because I will definitely make time to go to the beach and swim a lot!

4) Mastering my paleo bibimbap recipe. 

Jimmy loves this dish and after reading tons of recipes, I finally found the one that we both like. I make his with rice and I make mine with cauliflower rice so it’s paleo. This month I want to master the recipe and invite some friends over to try this veggie filled plate. Obviously the recipe is coming soon to The Golden Limoncello!

5) Flowers everywhere. 

We went to see the annual rose contest at La Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste. It was spectacular and breath-taking. I think this is officially my favorite place in Madrid.

May you all have a lovely month! 🙂

 

Spring: My 7 favorite things

I am still here.

I know I have been absent for the last month but believe me I have been trying to organize my life and found myself overwhelmed with everything around me.

Spring is finally here. I have waited for the warmer weather for so long that I think I am going to miss my coat and my winter clothes (NOT).

My sister came to spend Easter with us in Madrid and we had tons of fun (post coming on Friday).

She stayed for 10 days and we got to do so many things. I felt like a tourist all over again and it was kinda fun. The weather got really warm for a week and then suddenly it was cold again, then hot then cold. So obviously the three of us got sick. My allergies are going crazy (welcome Spring!) but I have to say I am loving everything about this warmer season.

1) I was skeptical about this color but now I am loving it.

2) I can now wear my hat and look decent. (I tried this hat with my winter coat and looked ridiculous).

3) The love of my life in Madrid! (Stefi’s past posts here and here)

4) Sunny days!

5) Seeing flowers everywhere gets me in an incredible mood.

6) We discovered our new favorite Mexican restaurant. If you ever come to Madrid you should try it, it’s amazing!

7) I have an obsession with boxes. I have tons of them, so you can imagine my happiness when I saw this in a local flea market.

May you all have a fantastic Spring!

February: 6 fantastic things

I have to admit this year has kept me pretty busy and I am starting to get a little worried by how fast February has arrived. I have been having fun but I have also been feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the work. But there are always things to be thankful for, so I want to share with you guys six things that are making my February start with a good foot.

1) New photo shoots and new projects. 

2) Aside from all the stressful things that come with organizing a video, I thought it would be a good idea to chill a little on set (totally fake meditation picture by the way). 

3) Our crew behind the scenes having fun between takes. 

4) I have always wanted to film a scene like this and I got to put my idea into action.

5) Bought a make-up setting spray and a new BB compact foundation from Kiko. 

6) This Minion key chain (I bought one for Stefi too). 

Problem solving: 3 things that help

Since I arrived from my last trip, I have been shamelessly procrastinating. I am proud to say that I am a very organized and efficient person, but lately it seems like my battery went…well…off.

I am waking up 2 hours earlier than I did before but somehow find myself postponing important events and trying to push back things that worry me. See? I said «push back», that is not a good sign.

I won’t bore you with the very long list of things that worry me but instead I am going to give you 3 things I do every time I find myself in this situation. I hope it helps you when you need it.

1) Don’t push back what is worrying you.

Acknowledging what is wrong is the first step. Don’t try to distract yourself from the real problem. Instead, take a moment and think about it. Please, by any means, don’t do at night when you go to bed. I have found that all my problems seem bigger when my head is against my pillow.

2) Write it down. 

I find it very helpful to write down all the things that are bothering me. This is not an easy task, believe me you will feel a little drained while doing so, but then you will feel absolutely better. Once you have your list or your paragraph written down, take a close look at it. Write down next to each thing an apparent solution. If you can’t find one, don’t worry. It will eventually come to you. Not all things can be changed, the only thing that definitely can change is your perspective towards them.

3) Think. 

You are the master of your thoughts. You are the one who controls your mind, nobody else. Don’t allow someone else to interfere with your happiness or your peace of mind. When you find yourself thinking unrealistic negative thoughts, stop yourself right there. You have to train your mind to think positive just like you trained your mind all these years to think negative.

 

October: 7 lovely things

October is a fun month: Halloween is around the corner, the weather starts to get a little chillier and autumn leaves invade the streets. I am loving this time of the year in Europe and I am glad that I get to spend my first Halloween here. I have to tell you that here they don’t celebrate this holiday like in the US but I have seen many stores with pumpkins and bats here and there.

1) Some of the last roses of El Retiro’s botanic garden.

2) Sunset running before Madrid wakes up.

3) This lovely bathroom at a local coffee shop.

4) Latest acquisition with autumn colors.

5) Jimmy’s birthday! (October 31st)

6) My lucky elephant. (It’s called Eli)

7) Being the only human being under 70 while watching «The hundred foot journey» (which I loved by the way)

What are you loving about this month?

 

 

 

Proud of my roots: 6 things I love about being 1/2 Greek

When I was a little girl I remember feeling a little ashamed of my Greek second last name «Frangopoulou». You have no idea how many nicknames I got thanks to that.

Today is a whole different story. I love being half Greek and half Italian. It makes me feel special. Thanks to my mom I learned how to speak fluent Greek and I love going to Greece and understanding everything.

Here six things I love about being Greek:

1) The food is spectacular. I love Greek salad and feta cheese is my favorite cheese of all time. Not to mention my mom’s «moussaka» and her amazing easter «chureki».

2) My mom and I speak Greek when we want to say something private so no one will understand. It’s a plus when we do it with a little giggle.

3) I spend most of my Summers in Greece and I have to tell you: make this trip one of your lifetime’s bucket list, you won’t regret it.

4) You get to be a smart-ass when you hear a word that has a Greek root. Remember the movie «My big fat greek wedding»? Remember the bride’s father, how he used to tell people that every-single-word had a Greek root? Well, that’s me most of the time.

5) I just love the smell of Greek coffee.

6) I have a tatoo on my left wrist that says «Pistevo» that means «I believe»

I have to thank Andreas Dermitzakis for this lovely article in the Greek newspaper!

 Here my tatoo

7 things I love about Madrid

I am starting to relax a little. My new life is… well new. I am find myself taking the subway like I have lived here my whole life. I wake up early with no alarm clock and I eat whenever I feel like it. So today I want to share seven things I am loving about Madrid.

1) There are tons of gluten-free products. I have found gluten-free pizza and churros! Churros you people!!!

2) I am walking miles and miles every single day. No car, but hot toned legs.

3) Finally I can apply my screenwriting skills: I am actually making scripts and directing video clips.

4) I am in the middle of my book. I write and write because my creative side is going wild!

5) I eat, I walk, I burn all the calories. Enough said.

6) My apartment is small, so I clean it in 20 minutes max.

7) I love my balcony view. I see the front street that hides behind a big old tree.

 

7 Things I am loving right now: June edition

These past two weeks have been hectic. I am studying, working and trying to have a social life.

Lately, I have had more bad days than good but I am happy brighter days are peaking ahead. I want to share with you guys seven things I am loving right now so I can also remind myself that there is always something that makes us smile.

1) I just mastered the Paleo crostata. Well, not actually «mastered» per se, but it came out pretty good. Finally after many baking mistakes I got it right!

2) I am enjoying coffee, the balcony and the weekends. Loving the Summer breeze.

3) Sunday sunshine. I am loving some alone time too.

4) Nina enjoying a little photoshoot. 

5) Since warmer nights are starting to peak in our bedroom, I changed my bed sheets to «Summer» mode.

6) I was having the worst day ever. Rainy day, bad traffic, constant arguments with everyone. When I arrived home, I went to my little balcony to get some air and this happened: the brightest rainbow I have ever seen.

7) Gluten-free red velvet cupcake!

So this will become my little personal tradition: every time I am feeling down I will write down 7-10 things that make me happy. Bum! Instant happy mood. 🙂

 

 

 

5 irrational pet-peeves of mine

Here is the deal: I am a obsessive-compulsive person. I do not say «OCD» as an exaggeration every time I refer to it. My family knows it, my boyfriend knows it and my doctor diagnosed it. He also tells me I suffer from Misophonia (Greek word ya’ll) because I get irritated by a lot of sounds. It really drives me crazy. But I have learned to live with it.

I have to be honest here, some of the things that irritate me are pretty funny. So I will share my top five:

1) People who drag chairs. 

I mean really? Is it that hard to just pick up the chair and put it where you want it? I understand when a chair is heavy and it needs some dragging but is all the cringing noise really worth it?

2) Interrogation while watching a movie.

There I am relaxing, watching a movie for the very first time. Then the person next to me starts: «Is she his mother?», «why did she murder him?», «is he going to come back from the dead?», «why did he burn the house down?». How am I supposed to know?! I didn’t direct the movie!

3) People who talk with their mouth full and also smack their lips while eating. 

There is nothing more annoying than the sound of someone who chews loudly.  Some people manage to talk with their mouth full of food. Is whatever you are saying so urgent that you can’t wait to swallow before you speak?

4) Bad breath. 

Listerine, brushing your teeth, chewing gum. No excuses for this one.

5) People who grab my cell phone and take a «look».

Really? Why on earth would you do that? There is something called «personal space». Do not touch my cell phone. Ever. You do that again and you are going to have a black eye.

So… do you have any special pet-peeve?

8 Things that make my sister pretty cool

My little sister Stefania is my favorite person in the whole world. We do fight sometimes and we say things we don’t mean, but eventually we know that is part of being best friends. She always makes me laugh and I do my best to make her smile. We have so many inside jokes we could have our own comedy show. I am always protecting her, often forgetting she is growing into a beautiful and smart little woman.

She has been a guest writer in the «Fashion Wednesdays» page and you can also check out our Paris trip here.

Here, eight things that make my sister pretty cool:

1) Her birthday is on January 1st. She was a little New Year’s present. So our new year goes like this: «Yey! Happy New Year! Yey, Happy Birthday Stefi!» (usually everybody is pretty tipsy by then).

2) We are 11 years apart. When she was six years old, I used to tell her «Stefi when we go out you will call me Mommy. So people will think you are my daughter» and she would agree. Then when we went out she would start randomly yelling «she is not my mother! She is not my mother!». (You little backstabber).

3) She is the most stylish person I know. The house can be burning down but that girl manages to get dressed fabulously and come out with her purse in hand looking like a million bucks.

4) She is immune to cold weather. (When we went to Paris it was freezing. Stefi was walking around with a thick cardigan and some gloves, I in the other hand was always cold and looked like a homeless snowman.)

5) She knows how to use the color palette like a professional. She makes drawings and then colors them with the most unusual colors you will ever see.

6) She is a passionate dancer. She loves to dance and I am really proud of everything she has accomplished.

7) She is extremely organized considering she is sixteen.  (I guess OCD runs in our family.)

8) Even though she is younger than me, she is always teaching me new things. 

Thank you Stefi, for being so special. This post is for you. 

10 things I like about my birthday

When I was a little girl I used to count the days until my birthday every year. You have no idea how exciting was telling my friends that June 5th would be the day when I had everybody’s attention in school. The night before was usually a sleepless night counting the hours for my special day.

The past three birthdays have been a little stressful. I felt a little anxious the night before because my mind was focusing on «I am a year older now» and «I need to get my life together before 30» or «I wish I was 25 forever». This year I want to make it special as if I was 10 years old again. I promised myself to focus on the positive and forget about the «get your life together» craziness.

So I want to share with you some things I still enjoy about my birthday.

1) I fully charge my phone the night before because I have a big family in Europe who always remembers my birthday. Bless them.

2) My little sister Stefania always tries to make it special for me. This is one of the things I enjoy the most on my birthday, having her by my side.

3) I love that my birthday this year falls on a Thursday because it is my favorite day of the week. (Maybe that is why I unconsciously named the «OCD Thursdays» on the blog.)

4) I get to eat cake! (I am trying the gluten-free version this year)

5) I get to open some presents and I am the kind of person who loves EVERYTHING people gift me. Really.

6) Fun fact: Emeregildo Zegna and Federico Garcia Lorca share birthdays with me. (And my cousin Babis in Greece.)

7) Jimmy and I have this absolute fun tradition that we call «the birthday week» where we grand each other a week of celebration before the special day. You should try it, it’s fun!

8) Still having my parents by my side to share this day with.

9) I always make myself a gift. (Why? Well… why not?)

10) I am grateful that I am a year wiser, alive and looking forward to more birthdays!

 

Any other Gemini buddies out there?

 

Starting the week with a smile: The Liebster Awards

I just have to tell you guys I had no idea about this sweet thing called the «Liebster Awards». This is the most adorable idea ever! And the fantastic news is that I was nominated by Natasha (lovely name right? 🙂 ) from Frankly, my dear.

Her blog is absolute fun and I loved the recipes, DIY craft tutorials and the category where she shares items she has selected with their respective links to buy them. (Natasha, I loved the «home and office» links. So many cute and useful things to buy!)

This award is a pay-it-foward-kind of blogger award. I personally think it is a fantastic idea to get to know new bloggers and recognize each other for our creativity. (Plus today is Monday lists so what a better post than this.)

If you are nominated, there are some steps for you to follow. I will share the ones Natasha left in her post.

1) Thank the blogger nominating you, linking back to their blog
2) Post the Liesbter award logo in your post
3) Answer the questions posed to you
4) Nominate 5-11 other bloggers with less than 1000 followers you think deserve the award
5) Present them with a list of questions to answer in their blog. 
6) Comment on the nominees blog letting them know about the award.

These are the questions posted for me to answer:

1.What motivated/inspired you to start your blog?

I just felt I had to share things I enjoyed and since I love to write, this was a fantastic opportunity.

2. How did you pick your blog name?

It was hard at first. I wanted something that had to do with my Italian roots and also something catchy. So I thought “The Golden Limoncello” would be fun.

 3. What are you hoping to achieve out of this blog? (make it a full-time profession, just for fun, get recognition, etc)

I hope to make people smile when they read it. That is what this blog is all about.

4. What website do you spend most of your time on?

I used to have an unhealthy relationship with Facebook. I also had an affair with YouTube. Eventually we did break up. Now, working on my blog is where I spend most of my “web time”.

5. Sweet or Savory?

Sweet all the way! (Chocolate anyone?)

6. If you could have a super power, what would it be?

I want a magic wand. I don’t know if it`s a superpower, but I guess it is pretty cool too!

7. All time favorite movie

Oh…this is a hard one. I have so many! But if I had to choose right now it has to be “Up!”.

8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I would love to have a small house in Tuscany and live a very tranquil life. Farmer`s markets, silent nights, long walks, Italian food… Oh! You got me dreaming now!

9. What’s one beauty product you can’t live without?

Concealer! Nothing like faking a good-night-sleep.

10. Recommend one good book you’ve read recently

“The Element” by Ken Robinson. I really liked this book because it helped me understand tons of things I did get wrong before. Finding your “element” in life is crucial to be happy.

11. What’s your favorite season of the year?

Spring! So many flowers, sunny days and sweet watermelons.

 

My nominations go to…

Storytotellya: This girl`s writing is phenomenal. I can`t emphize it enough. She shares her personal story with her witty and fun personality in such a way you just want to read more and more.

Sweetkimplicity: This blog is a fun mix of craft, projects and some fun recipes that once you read them you just want to make them. Make sure to check the «lingerie cookies» they are awesome!

Edanzzy: She has an incredible style and you are going to love her stylish pictures. (I just have to say this girl has a lovely hair color and her outfits are fabulous!)

Growingsnowballs: I love to repurpose items I already have and this blog has fantastic ideas to do so and it helps you save money! Double plus!

Thinpact: She is determined and also an inspiration to reach your goals. Her blog is very informative and also a great way to keep in mind that being healthy is the way to go. (You will love the Paleo diet food list she shares in her blog that has come in handy for me.)

Here are the questions for my nominees:

1. What is the thing you enjoy the most about blogging?
2. What is your favorite post in your blog and why? (Share the link if you like).
3. What is your favorite dessert?
4. What is your astrological sign?
5. If you could meet any celebrity, who would it be?
6. If your life would be a movie, what actress/actor would be playing yo in the movie?
7. What is your favorite quote?
8. What blog has influenced you the most?
9. If you could trade lives with someone else, who would it be?
10. What is your favorite website?

 Hope you all have a great week!  Keep rocking it!