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Lifestyle, My Work, Outfits, Travel

Summer’s end

August 31, 2020

Summer’s end always comes way too quickly. As much as I love the seasons changing , almost all of my best memories from childhood and even now in adult life come from Summer time.

Summer’s end comes earlier in Helsinki, Finland than what I’m used to call as Summer’s end in Sibenik, Croatia. For those who have been reading this blog for years know that I’ve been living for the past 13 years in Finland but I grew up in Croatia.

I’m very melancholic person and in some ways I have hard times letting “things go”. I sometimes get too attached to just a feeling of something , such as the feeling of Summer at it’s best, the energy, the never-ending sunshine, the happy faces of passers by…

Summer’s end always makes me rethink of the months behind since the year’s beginning. It’s kind of my way of checking in with myself, see what I’ve done well, what I’ve done wrong and what I could do better. Not just in sense of work and success but also , if not even more importantly in sense of how I’m feeling and how I’m progressing as a human.

I hate wasting time into nothing and I try every day to be better than I was the day before. Of course work done well pushes you forward and gives you that confident “wind in your back” but more and more as I’ve been growing older, I find it that my self confidence comes from how much I’ve managed to better myself and how many people besides myself I’ve brought happiness to.

We’re living in the extraordinary times and just like with Summer’s end, I am still hang on that feeling of the world before “the pandemic”. I feel like nothing is as simple and easy anymore but I have managed to figure out how to get the best out of this situation and accept the changes as they come.

I, like many of us love to be in control of things and know what’s coming next but life is everything but predictable and changes are inevitable. We sort of forget that we’re not Higher power and that so little is actually in our control. Life is meant to be changed and life is meant to break you and raise you, that’s just the law of the Universe and as much as we’re now thinking that this Pandemic is one of the worst things that has happened to us in decades, maybe , just maybe it might be one of the best things as well…

Maybe we have been too cocooned in the safety of our daily lives, living more freely and carelessly than what we’ve been aware of. Maybe we have stopped growing as humans and so many things were getting too big, too overpriced, overhyped, etc. I think that we’ve taken so much for granted and never had a moment to actually stop and ask ourselves what are we, as earthlings actually doing here on this planet? How much are our eyes open, how much our ears are ready to listen?

Isn’t this just the right time to rethink everything? The whole structure of our society, the way how things work, what and who’s important and who and what is something that we can totally mange without or not in as big doses as we’ve been used to.

It’s time to be humble, to be thankful and to finally, when looking at your neighbour , co-worker, friend, etc. to look at them and actually care how are they doing, how can you help and / or just pay more attention to small things in life like freedom of movement!

No matter how bad things might look like, underneath it all, maybe the awakening is what’s hiding and maybe, we can together make a positive change in the world which is right now what we truly need.

Summer’s end is melancholic for me, I miss my Sibenik more than anything and I’m thankful that I was able to spend two beautiful weeks there this Summer but due to the situation at the moment I have no idea when is the next time I’ll go there. I wanted to share with you my latest photo shoot for YSL beauty here and invite you all to always search for that silver lining in everything. What you’re searching for is what will find you. ๐Ÿ™‚

Photos and idea by : Valerio Baranovic

Make up and idea by : Katarina Jukic

Location : D-resort Sibenik, Croatia

Jewellery : LuluRoxx

Lifestyle, My Work, Travel

Helsinki boats

August 2, 2020

Experience an unforgettable boat ride and stunning sights of Helsinki archipelago with Helsinki boats!

About 3 weeks ago I had made one little dream come true! As some of you know, I have been living in Finland for over 12 years and this whole time I have contemplated on getting a private boat ride to discover Helsinki archipelago which I have heard about so much yet never got to see it properly. I don’t count mini boat ride to Suomenlinna island and back. ๐Ÿ˜€

Thanks to Marco, the best skipper and host of Helsinki boats, I made my dream come true and got to bring my daughter and brother along. Yes, Helsinki boats rides are like no others, it’s completely private, customised to your wishes rides and you can bring up to 3 people along with you. You can have whole boat for yourself or you can also share it with others starting at only 20 eur per person.

I want to tell you more about our experience. Marco welcomed us to his boat at Tervasaari, small island in Kruununhaka area of Helsinki. We jumped in and took off. First stop was mandatory fuel filling, since we went for the ride early in the morning and were the first ones to ride with Marco on that day.

We have witnessed some beautiful sights of Kalasatama and Mustikkamaa as well as discovered that there is a secret outdoor sauna in the most convenient spot, right on the rocks, ready to jump into the sea from the sauna.

Then we spotted Honkaluotto island which has nobody living there as it’s so small but there is a house, sauna and yard which you can rent for a whole day. Next off towards Herttoniemi and it’s beach area, lots of beautiful houses and villas, I was impressed. We saw a tiki bar! Yes in the middle of Helsinki archipelago there was a tiki bar and that’s when I thought that I must be somewhere else, this just can’t be Helsinki. ๐Ÿ˜€

We took a bit of a speed ride towards Itis and Vuosaari area where the stunning views and all sorts of secret spots continued. My jaw was dropping every five minutes and I completely fell in love with Helsinki all over again.

From there we turned back and started our ride towards Suomenlinna, passed it by smoothly as well as Uunisaari and continued towards Jรคtkรคsaari to the Hietalahti and restaurant Hampton Bay.

During our whole ride with Marco we have talked a lot, found him to be such a cool and relaxed guy, it’s hard not to love him at the first sight. ๐Ÿ™‚ We were happy to share lunch with Marco and talk some more about life in general and never ending source of conversation – pros and cons of life in Helsinki.

Marco was so kind to give us a short ride to Mattolaturi where we got off the boat and wished him luck with his next rides which he had lined up right after us.

I must mention that during the whole boat ride I felt safe, comfortable and incredibly happy! This was definitely one of the best experiences during my life in Finland and I can wholeheartedly suggest you to try his Italian styled boat and discover the gem of Helsinki archipelago.

*This post was made in collaboration with Helsinki boats, all of the opinions are my own.

*Photos and text by me.

Food, Lifestyle, My Work, Travel

KOTI Helsinki ; live like a local

April 16, 2020

In my previous post I have introduced you to luxury apartments in the heart of Helsinki – KOTI apartments. Today, I wish to let you know some of my thoughts of actually living there as a local. Testing made in 1 week time period made me realise that KOTI apartments are even more than what I was expecting.

KOTI apartments have 30 differently sized apartments and I was testing one of about 40 m2 their Classic apartment. Besides cool and modern design, I have right away noticed how comfortable it is to live there. Couch is very comfy and can be made into extra sleeping space if needed. Bed is also very comfortable and has 4 pillows which I love because I always sleep with 3 pillows if I can. ๐Ÿ˜€

Toilet has enough space for everything you need, shower is just perfect and you can pick which shower you want, the regular or rain shower and all while laddering nicely scented Rituals body wash.

Under the sink there is washing and drying machine in one and also gel tablets for washing your clothes. Of course, dryer, hand soap, 2 people towels set…

Kitchen is full of utensils and machines you would need during your longer stay, from toaster and coffee maker, tea boiler to pots, pans and cutlery, mugs and glasses. You’re all set for living. ๐Ÿ™‚

Complimentary coffee and tea are waiting for you and they get replenished once a week during your personal cleaning day. Dishwashing machine helps a lot to keep everything clean in the kitchen but you also have some cleaning supplies in case you need them. Oven, micro and fridge are all of great quality and I would pick them for my own home too.

Small sized table is actually great for 3 people to sit comfortably, flat screen smart TV will keep you entertained when needed and Helsinki guide book comes in very handy to be aware of all of the great spots locals love which are also nearby KOTI. WiFi is great and works well on multiple devices.

There is small balcony, enough to catch some fresh air and enjoy the view. ๐Ÿ™‚

There is a ton of closet space and you won’t be lacking space for your clothes, shoes and so on.

Weekly cleaning is a saviour and I believe that when staying longer than a week you realise that it means a lot to have a day off to not worry about cleaning and have somebody else change your bed sheets and vacuum clean.

Finally, let me mention that every Friday lovely people of KOTI leave freshly baked cinnamon buns at the lobby of KOTI for the residents to take and enjoy. MMMMmmmm! Sounds heavenly doesn’t it? Yes, KOTI is really worth booking your stay with them.

*Commercial collaboration with KOTI apartments, all of opinions and photos are my own.

Lifestyle, My Work, Travel

Visit Helsinki: Hotel Helka

October 8, 2019

Visiting Helsinki and looking for a discrimination free, filled with unique art pieces and a “very Finnish” style hotel, Helka is the right choice for you. Located in the Helsinki city centre – Kamppi, it’s very easy to reach hotel Helka no matter which transportation you choose. Immediately as you enter Helka you’re greeted by the lovely and laidback staff.

You can choose if you want to use an electronic, self check in or the traditional one. Whatever you choose, your check in and check out will be equally user friendly and rarely that you’ll have to wait long to do either.

Hotel Helka has gone through some renovations and got a nice facelift so now it shines like a new penny. ๐Ÿ™‚ You can check my previous review of Helka here. Besides standard comfort and smart rooms, there are also junior suites, all beautifully decorated with a touch of pink and cute notes, such as “Spend a night with Alvar Aalto” as there are a lot of designer touches in the hotel rooms, from Alvar Aalto vases to the Design house Stockholm famous brick lamps.

Many visitors have stayed in hotel Helka since it’s opening back in 1969, from the random hotel guests to the public personas. Hotel Helka also has a bit of a “movie history” as it served as a Hotel Budapest in American movie Gorky Park.

When visiting Helsinki, from the outside, Helka’s building doesn’t look that much different from other nearby buildings and you would never guess how stylish, cozy and pretty hotel is hiding inside. ๐Ÿ™‚

I loved my stay at a Junior Suite and it’s private sauna was very much appreciated as I happen to love Finnish sauna and to have one at your own disposal in your own room is one of those small things which make life beautiful.

There are no mini bars at the hotel rooms because Helka is the holder of the Green Key and is very eco friendly so by not having mini bars it saves 50 000 kWh annually.

Delicious and organic breakfast is served every morning. If you feel like grabbing a drink with your friends or have a meeting with a larger group, Helka’s bar is always ready to serve you. ๐Ÿ™‚ If you’re feeling like snacking, there’s a chance to grab a sandwich from the bar as well.

Finally, hotel Helka’s prices are some of the best ones in town and rooms are most of the time sold out but if you book in advance and through the hotel’s website using the code pinkhelsinki you will get -10% off your reservation.

*This post was made in collaboration with Hotel Helka, all of the opinions are my own.

Lifestyle, My Work, Travel

My experience of GLO hotel Sello

June 4, 2018

GLO hotel Sello invited me to visit their burger stand at a foodie event of craft beers and burgers by the various restaurants and beer brewers at a 2 day event in the town of Espoo. Even though I’m living in Helsinki, ย Espoo is only a short ride away so I was at the event in less than 20 minutes. ๐Ÿ™‚ GLO hotel Sello staff greeted me warmly upon my arrival and after dropping off my bags, I went ahead to the burgers and beer event that was going on at the square right next to my hotel and the shopping mall Sello.ย  Continue Reading…

Food, Lifestyle, My Work, Travel

Dinner at Nobu Shoreditch

October 2, 2017

Nobu Shoreditch, a newcomer to the ever growing restaurant scene in London. Dinner at Nobu Shoreditch was on top of the “must visit” places on my travel bucket list during my recent trip to London. Nobu restaurants are a worldwide group of top notch, Japanese cuisine and fine dining restaurants, coming from the celebrated Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa.

Nobu Shoreditch is also owned by a super famous Hollywood actor Robert DeNiro who also attended the opening of this restaurant and the first Nobu hotel in London a few months ago. By opening Nobu Shoreditch hotel and restaurant, Shoreditch area got a big “upgrade” to already buzzing and growing area of London that is quickly becoming one of the coolest areas in town to live, explore, work… You name it! ๐Ÿ™‚ย  Continue Reading…

Lifestyle, My Work, Travel

Visit Croatia: D-Resort Sibenik

August 7, 2017

If you didn’t know, Croatia has been the hottest Summer vacation destination in Europe for the last couple of years. It’s been the most wanted pick by many this Summer especially. When tourists, wanderers, nomad souls are looking for a place to visit in Croatia where they will get the maximum of beautiful and clean beaches, delicious Mediterranean food and great hospitality, they usually are all having different preferences when it comes to places to stay at. Some will opt for Airbnb, some will like the affordable and no fuss hostels, while others will want to go “all the way out” and enjoy their vacation to the max by choosing to stay at high standard hotels such as D-Resort for instance.ย  Continue Reading…

Lifestyle, My Work, Sunday Cafe

Sunday cafe: Meet Jerry

June 4, 2017

It’s not that often that I come across people which strike me immediately upon shaking hands and exchanging couple of sentences. This was the case when I met Jerry for the first time. I did knew a bit about him by checking out his blog and liking his writing style/ whole lifestyle concept but little did I know that I will like him as person and become very good friends once I meet him!

Jerry is one of the most hard working, self-mastered professionals I’ve met in a while. Don’t let his age fool you, this guy is working day and night for his dreams to come true and so far, he’s travelled, accomplished ย and experienced more than most of the millennials will until the end of their 30s.

Continue Reading…