Bubbles & Sparkles!

Today I'm leaving for Switzerland to visit some of my dear friends. They like drinking wine - especially their family. I have to admit - I love wine, too. I started drinking wine just by drinking what ever the bar I was at offered. After many many bad hangovers I've decided to stick to beer at the bars and enjoy wine at home with my friends. 

Here are some of my favorites!
Number one wine that I had the luck to taste just few days ago, is Frankovka (official name is Lemberger or Blaufränkisch).  Blaufränkisch, which is a late-ripening variety gives red wines which are typically rich in tannin and may exhibit a pronounced spicy character. The grape is grown across Central Europe, including Austria, Czech Republic 

From the same wine growing company (Zámecké vinařství Bzenec) I also love the Saint Laurent wine (called Svatovavřinecké in Czech). St. Laurent is a highly aromatic dark-skinned wine grape variety of the same family as Pinot Noir, originating in France.

St. Laurent is the most widely planted red grape variety in the Czech Republic, growing in all wine subregions in both Moravia and Bohemia. It comprises approximately 9% of total vineyards, or 1,730 hectares (4,300 acres).

Now moving on to the bubbles and sparkles! The world wide known sparkly wine (not talking about Champaigne!) would be Lambrusco. Lambrusco is made white, rosé or red. I personally love the red one, it tastes like a coctail made out of wine, sparkly water and grape juice. No matter who made that wine, Lambrusco is always a good choice.

Avanti is one of the cheaper, but also great options on the market. It is a sparkly wine as well, white, rosé, rosso...you can even buy some fruity flavor! I've tryed peach and strawberries. Peach is my favorite! And I've seen pear, cherries and many more flavors...

And finally - I have to include a white wine! I've accidentally once bought this Sauvignon by Asconi, it was the best white wine I've ever had. And I'm not a big fan of white wines...

Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage ("wild") and blanc ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France, a possible descendant of savagnin. Sauvignon blanc is planted in many of the world's wine regions, producing a crisp, dry, and refreshing white varietal wine. The grape is also a component of the famous dessert wines from Sauternes and Barsac.

Gym Getaway

Hello everybody!
I just came back from the gym and I have to tell you - there is no better way to relax and feel positive! I'm definitely an Endorphin junkie!
Here's an explanation of what endorphins really are and what they do according to the Wikipedia:

"Endorphins are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus invertebrates during exercise,excitement, pain, consumption of spicy food, love and orgasm and they resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a feeling of well-being."


I don't want to get too much into it, but to be honest, I definitely feel much more positive after a good workout and that mood stays on for the rest of the day. Of corse - when I wake up evey morning, I feel too lazy to go to the gym, but I know how proud I will be afterwards and I just go. Trust me - the worst part about going to the gym is actually going there. Once you are there, with your gear and everything, you don't feel lazy anymore.


What do I wear while working out at the gym?
I usually opt for a light weight T-shirt that is made out of cotton - it absorbs your sweat and is very comfortable. Another option is to buy a T-shirt or a tank top made out of special sport material, like this one:

These kinds of tops usually have a built - in bra. Which can be great, but I prefer wearing my own sport bra. When I was living in the USA, I bought a simple and very affordable bra from Wallmart! Yes! They were in a 3 pack and I love them. I've had them for over 3 years and they are still in great shape!

For bottoms, I don't like to wear shorts. First of all, I don't like to show my legs that much, but also while working out, 3/4 lenght leggings are much more comfy.

You should never save your money on shoes! Those are very important! Your gym shoes should be new, don't ever buy them in a second - hand or thrift store! They should fit you comfortably and be flexible. You don't want to get blisters...
When you go shoe shopping, always ask somebody if those are the right ones for you. Running shoes for treadmill and outdoor running are different! So be aware of that.

I'm not a personal trainer or anything, those are just my tips and things I've learned along the way.

Asics are supposed to be one of the best running and gym shoes on the market. I personally never owned a pair, my Adidas are great and I don't need another pair, but aren't these pink ones lovely??

More about what I do at the gym in another blog post! Have a great day :-)

Au Pair? Yes, please!

Due to the recent events in my life, I've decided that the best solution for me is to become an Au Pair. Abroad. The main reason why I chose to walk on this path is that I really want to conquer my French. But also, I'm very excited about meeting new people, making new relationships, taking care of someone's household and playing with children.
Lots of my friends were Au Pairs. Some of them have experienced bad things, some of them had the best time of their lives. But what really gets me is the not - knowing what is going to happen. Am I going to be in a big city? Near the ocean? In the mountains? In the countryside? I DON'T KNOW YET! And that is very, very exciting for me!
Of corse, it is probably not going to be the easiest thing ever. But who cares? Working hard on something that's fun for me, learning new french words everyday, being happy to do what I want?
Yes please!


If you are interested in reading some info about the Au Pair program, how it works etc., stay tuned!

Glitzerland

This is a title of a very pretty shade of OPI nail lacquer. This shade comes from a Swiss collection. Why am I talking about this? Because it very closely describes the whole Swiss country!



Switzerland is very classy, smart, polished country, but it also can have lots of fun! Just like this lacquer.
Why am I talking about Switzerland AGAIN? Well, Zurich, Switzerland, is my next destination! I'm meeting some of my most precious friends there. I've been very fortunate to find amazing friends in this large world from all corners the Earth has to offer. Most of it is caused by my one-year-long-study trip to the USA.



I don't know exactly what our plans for this vacation are, but one thing is for sure: we are going to have loads of fun and laugh. We are going to make sushi (yes, sushi, my Japanese friend is coming with us! but more about that later ;-), have fun, relax, drink wine and enjoy ourselves! And - of corse - we are going to shop a lot! At least I know I am! Haha.

San Francisco

Okay. The title doesn't have anything to do with this blog post. But it's cute. I've always wanted to visit this city! But the closest I got to San Francisco was by drinking yet another cute splash drink at T.G.I. Friday's. It was cherry-ish and it was so GOOD!

Yep, it's even better than it looks!

But the point of this blog post is a little different. I just wanted to let you guys know about this video. It's about happiness and the pursuit of happiness. It helped me a lot, just by watching it. The girl who made it is very smart and has some good points there!

It is called the Secrets of Truly Happy People. It took this girl - Bubzbeauty she calls herself on youtube - a long time to figure out what she wants to say in this video and I think she made a brilliant job. Bubz talks about negativity that we - ordinary people - keep in our lives. We presume things, we voluntarily do what makes us emotional. But bad emotions aren't the easy way out. Trust me I know. There were times when I made the wrong decisions, and I knew they were wrong, but I also knew that feeling the regret afterwards is better then feeling nothing. It is very easy to fall into this pattern, let me tell you. But hard work always pays back. Let's get rid of everything negative and think positively. Select our thoughts and trash the bad ones. Just try it :-) you will be successful, eventually!

November sunbreeze!

Yep. That's the name of my favorite non alcoholic beverage at T.G.I. Friday's! And also the topic of my very first blog post!
I've had a lot of blogs before, some of them focused on fashion, the other ones were collecting pictures of my star crushes, but this one is different. This one is about me and my life.
You see, I've had a rough year. I lost myself completely in this stress-filled life and it consumed me. When I felt like I was at the lowest place in my life, things didn't get better. I received a letter from the Charles University that said they refuse to take me as their student and my year-and-a-half long relationship ended with a simple: "It's over, just deal with it!" text message. I thought I deserved better. This felt like a huge punch in my face. A punch that said: "Stop moping about your miserable life! Instead, turn it into something positive, meaningful, and special!"
So I stopped crying for a little bit, wiped my tears out of my face and got up. Yes, I went to the gym. And then to visit my grandparents. And then out with my friends. And shopping. I did a lot of shopping. But most importantly, I started to LIVE my life to the fullest. Again. And it felt, well, it felt good!
If you're looking for an isnpiration, you might find it here. If not, try reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. That's what helped me.

Life is a journey. And I'm right back on the track :-)