Quote of the Week

Here's one of my favourite quotes from my "Rule of a Lady" collection. This particular one is gracing the wall of my bedroom for quite a while now.
Enjoy the last hours of weekend before the crazy Monday arrives!
xxx
Lucy Jane

Words Left Unsaid: Prolog

Have you ever felt like you're not good enough? Like everything you do isn't worth sharing with others, because you feel like it doesn't contribute to the world. Have you ever gave up your dreams, because you didn't want to fail, so instead you just gave up? Are you afraid to wish for something, because you're afraid it won't happen? Were you ever told you won't succeed at something, and you believed that? I've felt like this my whole life.

But this isn't a story about my misery, it's a story about a battle left unfinished, words left unsaid and people left hurting. It's a story about a girl named Autumn. She was like that. All different colours and beautiful with her auburn curly hair and pale complexion. When she was around everyone laughed. And her laughter sounded like an autumn rain. She was perfect, everyone loved her, and it seemed like she loved everyone as well. But it turned out this wasn't true. I'll tell you later about that. Right now, this is not important. Autumn was everyone's best friend, helping hand, she did everything for other people. Sometimes even too much. The beauty of it was, that she didn't care. She liked to help and she always knew when there was someone who really needed her help and if they just wanted her help for the wrong reasons. 

And Autumn always knew all the right words. Something I always had problem with. She knew what was the right thing at the right moment to say to anyone she meet; Autumn knew how to make people feel better about themselves, about what they did or about what was done to them.

The story I want to tell you started in May 2010. I remember that it was a huge storm on the day when it all started. I remember the tension in the air the moments before the sky opened and took it all away. The storm is just a distant memory now, because after it the sun came back to the cloudless sky. It was beautiful. Thinking back, I believe that what happened that day changed my life forever. Not just my life, it actually changed the life of many other people as well.

It's funny how I can get along with people that are either older or younger than me, but somehow I can't connect with my peers. This is the main reason why I even met Autumn.

I've been living in the big city my whole life. I'm not complaining, I loved every minute of it. After I finished High School I went to college. I was doing what I thought I wanted. I was at college, the place where I wanted to be for the last five years. And as it turned out college wasn't for me. I hated every minute of the first semester, I was daydreaming during classes, I wanted to escape from the thing I used to want the most.

I felt so guilty, and when I talked to my parents about it, they were like: "But honey, isn't this what you always wanted? The thing you were asking to finally happen for the last five years?"

At this point I had no idea what to do. I felt trapped and unsafe. Like everything I do isn't good enough. Suddenly the big city wasn't big enough for me. I felt like it was suffocating me with all the skyscrapers and  bad air and people always in a rush to get somewhere. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe and one May day I just packed all my stuff, sat in a car and drove for miles. I didn't stop until I came to the other part of the country. I knew people would be looking for me, but I didn't care. I didn't say goodbye to anyone, or wrote a goodbye letter. I just left.

It was the day I met Autumn for the first time.It was the day the story really starts.

-------------

So this is my promised story. Or at least the first part of it. I hope you liked it. It took me a while to get the story on a paper the way I wanted it to sound, the way I imagined it in my head. I am kind of proud of it, since I never did anything even remotely similar. I did wrote a few short stories for school, when I was younger, but they weren't in English, and if everything goes according to plan this will become a novel. Please leave a comment or write me a message on facebook or something, so I know if you liked it or not. I will be happy of any constructive (that means that I hope that besides:this is awesome/sucks, you also write: ...because --> for example: I already read a book with the same story, your narration is horrible, and so on and so on) reply I get, weather it's positive or negative.

xxx

Lucy Jane

Movie of the Month December: Ghosts of the Girlfriends Past

The third day of my December resolutions, and I already broke one. Yesterday, I didn't post anything on my blog. I do have an excuse though. I had a stomach bug and became inseparable with my lovely toilet. Disgusting I know, but this is my excuse and a damn good one, if I may add.

But back to the topic. I want to do a new best-of-the-month series, this one called Movie of the Month. I know I missed it for November, but I think you didn't need to hear it from me too (well you're gonna hear it anyway). The title for November was fair and square won by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The movie is amazing, story is amazing, and the cast is amazing. I loved Jennifer Lawrence in it and I can't wait to see her next movie that comes out right about now: American Hustle. I saw the trailer and I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

 

So I told what I (and another half of the world) think about what was movie of the month November. But what about December? I was thinking something Christmassy or maybe at least something with a lot of snow. I couldn't decide, so I made a short list and watch all three movies again. Well I saw Frozen for the first time, and other two for like twentieth, but who's counting? The other two being Just Friends (with Ryan Reynolds, the gorgeous husband of Blake Lively) and Ghosts of the Girlfriends Past (with Matthew McConaughey). It was tough, especially after seeing the pretty new Disney tale about two sisters that love each other so much that are willing to do everything for the sake of other's well-being.

But seeing Matthew McConaughey shirtless resolved all the issues I had before and Ghosts of the Girlfriends Past has won in my book.

The story is not hard to tell. If you think hard enough, the title will remind you of another one you probably heard before. Well, the title isn't exactly the same, but I'm sure you all heard of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. No? Then you should go back to school! Just kidding. The stories have the same concept. A guy (Scrooge in A Christmas Carol and Connor in Ghosts of the Girlfriends Past) did some horrible things in the past (Scrooge was super greedy and didn't want to share his wealth, Connor had a lot of girlfriends and hurt the one he truly loves) and the higher power that controls life (in a story) decided that it's time to give them one last chance before they destroy any hope of bright future they might have. So during the night three ghosts visit them, a ghost of their past, present and future. As always in romantic comedies, everything turns out just fine (and exactly the opposite of what the ghosts predict).

The thing I liked the most about the movie (besides Matthew McConaughey and the fact that there's a wedding and snow) is that Emma Stone is in it. She plays this crazy ghost of the past. She is super cute with curly hair and scrunches and all the eighties clothes she's wearing. And the fact that she behaves like she has enough energy to jump up and down for eternity. And the fact that she uses a bed as a car. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt afterwards. She was just so funny in this movie! I loved it!

The verdict:

So Ghosts of the Girlfriends Past is a romantic comedy you want to watch when you're cold and tiered and fell like, I need some time for myself. Or at least that is what I do, because I always forget about my problems when I'm watching a hot guy chasing a girl of his dreams (or in this case, half of the movie pushing her away and chasing other girls). And not to forget, there's enough shirtless Matthew McConaughey and some hot girls in lingerie for both you and your boyfriend (if you have one, which I don't. Just saying. Not complaining). And there's a car chase that is at the same time romantic and full of adrenalin. Really it's a win-win movie. And you can watch it every Christmas and it never gets old. 

Feeling Bored

So earlier this week I decided to do some stuff until the end of the year. I made "The December Resolutions List". I put on all kinds of stuff. From lose five pounds to write more, and study more. The study more is more or less just a technicality, because I have to start to study all together. But to tell you the truth I don't like the college I'm going to, and I'm searching for alternative, but so far, I hadn't came up with one. My mom said that I have to study or I should go and get a job. But tell me, what am I supposed to do? The high school I went to didn't give me any sort of usable knowledge, unless you count the ability to finish advanced math with a decent grade without really studying a good thing to do in the world (please note that I'm not bragging, it's just a fact that I do OK in math and if it makes you feel any better, I suck at French because I'm too lazy to open the book so I only know enough French to not to get sold away in France. Or maybe not even that much. I should try it sometimes I guess). So for now I'm stuck in college doing the exact thing I hate the most, studying about things I know will never need in my life.

Instead of complaining I decided to do something about it. So I'm complaining about it on the internet. Well that and I also made a facebook page, updated my old polyvore account, made a new tumbler blog and a pintrest board (I hadn't quite figured out how to do all the "pinning" yet, so excuse me if I used a wrong term or something). So here you have it mom; I'm doing the whole social media experience! How's that for a quality time full of learning. Honestly, I had no idea you still can't add your pictures in polyvore collages, or that you can have a singing tumbler blog. Which is highly annoying if I may say, since I do most of browsing during college classes. It's not nice when you forget to turn off the speaker and suddenly in the middle of the heated discussion about Freud, all of the sudden One Directions Best Song Ever starts to play. No seriously guys, all I want to do is see and reblog your photo, not listen to One Direction or Lorde or whatever you set to play when I open your blog. Because than instead of being happy about seeing your beautiful picture all I want to do is close the tab that plays music (not that I have anything against One Direction or Lorde, I just want to be able to watch your photos during class without the possibility of getting caught because you just had to share that beautiful song with me!).

Enough about that, and more about the resolutions I made for this December. First I must say I am a person that believes that if you repeat the same thing every single day, than it becomes part of your routine and it's not hard to do anymore. I used to get up at seven fifty, but when I started high school I switched to getting up at seven o'clock and now that I'm in collage (and have all those morning classes that start before eight!) I'm getting up at six thirty. And now, that two months has passed I even wake up at six thirty on weekends (I usually don't get up until nine, but who cares?). So I decided to make it a point of starting to exercise every day for at least half an hour; Starting tomorrow, of course. And even more, I decided to write something and post it on blogger every single day until the New Year's Eve. And maybe even longer if start studying about, well right now.

Oh and decided to do one more thing. Every since I was a little girl I always wanted to write a book, so I decided to at least finish the first chapter of a story I'm currently  working on. I decided that you will be the best judges of weather I should or shouldn't continue writing. So any comments or anything will be much appreciated. I don't mind a bad critic as long as they are constructive and have a good reason. "I hate it" or "It sucks" isn't enough for me. I want to know exactly why you hate it or why it sucks, I also want to know why you like it or love it. So please be constructive. I already wrote the prolog and first half of the chapter one. I will be posting prolog soon, and hopefully chapter one not long after that.

Oh, and I almost forgot. If you won't like the story I'm currently working on another one, that already has prolog and chapter one and some of chapter two written. For this one I have the entire story in my mind and already written the pointers down. It has a working title Madame and I'm really excited about writing it. Way more than about the other one, that I call Words Left Unsaid. Which is quite funny since I have almost no filter and practically always tell everything that is in my mind. You should hear me in the restaurant with one of my best friends talking about everything, including gossiping about the boy at the next table (I had no idea he was there, maybe I wouldn't say all the things I said if I knew he was. But what is done is done, it's not like I'm gonna date him or anything).

In hopes all of you are not as bored (and becoming obsessed with social media) as me,

xxx

Lucy Jane

Quote of the week

In memory of Nelson Mandela. 

He was a great men who believed in human decency and (in my opinion) is a perfect example of how people should live. Not only to save our asses, but also to save everybody elses!

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in  prison, only to be made stronger by the experience. He was black in a country known for apartheid (political system of racial segregation, in which black people-native to the area, were considered inferior in comparison to white people) and yet he become the president of the same country.

He was(is) a real life super hero. He believed in equality of all human races. In three words: He was (still is) awesome!

I hope this quote reminds you that breaking a nail isn't the worst thing ever and that there are people with real problems out in the world.

xxx Lucy Jane

Easy, Fast & Cheap Home Made Italian Lunch

I love Italian fashion, charm and their delicious food. I visited almost all the big Italian cities and some smaller ones too. I love Italy, and I can't wait for a trip to Rome I'm planning in March!

But today I'll share with you one of my favourite recipes for Italian pasta. It's super easy to do, it's not time or money consuming. And it's delicious and healthy.

  

This is what is waiting for you to eat it after less than half an hour of cooking (well you have to wait for 15 for pasta to cook and also for red pepper to steam).

Pasta with red pepper and mozzarella

 Ingredients (for four people):

- 2 red peppers

- 4 spoons of oil

- 1 mozzarella (200 g) or 100 g of cheese that melts

- 50 mL (or 1/5 cup) sweet cream

- salt and pepper

- 400 g of short pasta (I used Barilla's Farfalle; you can use Pipette, Rotini, Radiatore)

What to do:

Boil the water, add some salt and pasta. Cook for as long as it's instructed on the packaging.

Wash the red pepper and cut it.

Put 4 spoons of oil in a pot add red pepper and steam it for 15 minutes

Add some salt and pepper, and right before we serve the meal, add the mozzarella/cheese (which you already cut into small squares) and sweet cream. Stir until cheese melts a little.

Put the pasta on the plate, pour the red pepper sauce over, and you have a easy, fast, cheap, healthy and delicious meal for lunch or light dinner.

Buon Appetito Popolo! (and yes I used Google translator for this)

Lucy Jane

Lucy's Winter Wonderland

Lucy's Wonderland by lucka003 on Polyvore

December is here. This means that winter is officially here. I know that according to the calender winter started a month or so ago, but for me the real winter is from December to February (with an exception if it's already 10 cm of snow in November. But it has to be in the city - my city, not in the mountains). 

So this is how I want my winter to look like. What about you? Are you eager to watch snow falling from the warm haven of your house? I know I am, and yesterday when the first snowflakes landed on the streets of my city, I was so happy, that the winter is officially here.

Snowy December everyone,

Lucy Jane

The Different Look

The Different Look by lucka003 featuring a white gold ring

Winter Dream

Walking down the memory lane. I found this set I created about a year ago. Oh, those were the happy careless days. I miss them!

winter dream by lucka003

Best of Jenny Packham

 

Best of Jenny Packham by lucka003 on polyvore.com

Metallic Beauty

Metallic Beauty by lucka003

Quote of the Week

To all the people that have a sworn enemy. Oscar Wilde knew how to deal with them ;)
Spread the love peeps!
Lucy Jane

The Promised Macron Recipe

So here's the promised recipe for macrons. It took some time, but I finally did it.

For about 30 macrons (depends on how big you want the shells to be):

- 90 g of egg white (it's better if you leave it on a kitchen counter for a day))

- 30 g of white sugar

- 200 g of powdered sugar

- 110 g of almond powder/flour or fine blended almonds (preferably white)

- colour die for food if you wish (whatever the correct expression for this is, I hope you got my point)

Process (just be ready to repeat it over and over and over again, before you make perfect macrons):

-quickly mix egg whites, until you can see bubbles.

- add the white sugar

- mix until egg whites turn white and you are able to turn around the plate (you were mixing egg whites in) and the mix doesn't fall out of the plate
- add almonds and powdered sugar
- mix them into a think but creamy paste (mix like you're folding it (from downside to up)
- optional: somewhere in the middle of previous step add the colouring.
- paste is perfect when it flattens in about 10 s after you stopped mixing it

- put the paste into a plastic bag and cut off a really small piece of one corner
- make shells on a baking sheet (or however it's called - the thing you put your  cookies and stuff on so they don't burn into the baking pan) or you can buy a special macron baking sheet

- leave them to rest for about 60 minutes (depends on humidity), so they form a slight crust
- bake them in an preheated oven on 140 degrees Celsius for 22 minutes; when the macrons rise, lover the temperature to 130 degrees Celsius
- after we took them out of oven, leave them to cool down for 5 minutes
- turn macrons around together with the baking sheet
- pull the baking sheet off the macrons (not the other way around)

That's how your macron shells should look like

- put two together and put a marmalade or chocolate ganache or a cream cheese mix in between
-et voila:

Bon appetite
Lucy Jane