• Never give up on your vision, always voice your opinion and insist on the things you want. The whole experience with wedding planners, photographers, caterers, venues etc. is quite scary; it is so easy to cave and give up on the things you had imagined. No wedding planner can tell you that your budget doesn’t fit your vision; it’s just the wrong person to work with. And most importantly, don’t let anyone treat you like a bag of cash. Everything is possible and you don’t need to go bankrupt; you just need to have ample time to organise all and find the right people to work with. Do yourself a favour and do no book the first address you find online. Take recommendations from your connections who have been married before and also use the talents of your friends and family!

• You can organise by yourself much more than what you can imagine. I decided on the theme with my husband, we created half the decorations ourselves, we coordinated everything from the ceremony, music, vendors, outfits, to all the activities for the whole weekend. All invitations were made by me, we printed and put them in personalised envelopes all by ourselves; the same goes for the party favours, name tags and so much more.

• Include your friends. I cannot stress this enough, from helping you with creation, heavy lifting and running through them your ideas and visions to actually having them officiate the wedding! It takes out the stress and leaves you with unforgettable memories.

• If you are a biracial couple like me and my husband, no need to advertise it from the beginning. It would just raise the price up to double and expose you to numerous cliches. As a Greek getting married in Greece the number of stupid ideas I heard was, the least to say, frustrating.

• The smaller the better. Although I have nothing as opposed to grand weddings with 200-500 guests, if you prefer intimacy the smaller and more selected the guest list the better. We had around 40 guests, only our close friends and our immediate family. We had the chance to welcome every person and spend quality time with them, even at the midst of celebration. Always remember that you are getting married for yourselves and nobody else, make sure you are surrounded by the people you love.

• Do not miss out on trying on wedding dresses. At this time and age, it is so easy to miss out on experiences like that. Me too I was convinced I could only find online what I wanted, saving both time and money. I felt intimidated to enter a wedding gown store full of dresses I would never wear, especially as I did not have my closest friends and family around. And even though I did buy online the wedding dress for my civil wedding, which was a big success, I am so happy I changed my mind for the beach wedding, and I did the whole wedding dress experience by creating the custom gown of my dreams and sharing this moment with dear friends.

• Always steal little moments to pass with your partner because it can be so chaotic, making difficult even to see each other. For example, the day of our big wedding he drove me to the hairdresser’s and then we went to get lunch; some cute moments we passed together before the big preparation for the ceremony began. We also arrived at the destination one week before the due date, so that we could rest and enjoy some vacation time the 2 of us before the wedding weekend; like a ‘pre-wedding honeymoon’!!!

• Do food tasting with friends! Having arrived earlier, we also had the chance to visit the venue with some friends and taste the food chosen as well as speak little with the people in charge to go over everything one last time with no stress. It was great fun, and we got to enjoy the place twice!

• Ask all the people that work on your wedding to be discreet. It is your day, and you need to be free to be yourself with the people you love. Do not let anyone dictate you and boss you around. Photographers, decorators, etc. can propose things to you, but you can and should say no if you do not feel like it. They are there to make YOUR dream wedding come to life, not theirs. For example, I didn’t feel like being photographed in a night gown before putting on the dress and my husband downright refused to take any preparation photos because he felt idiotic. And you know what? It was the best decision ever to not lose time doing something that would take so much time only to make us feel uncomfortable and ‘staged’.

• Clothing double tape is a lifesaver! I literally cannot stress this enough! I was looking for something that would keep in place my puffy princess sleeves, as I didn’t want to be bothered during the ceremony etc. They did not move a bit all night, even after rigorous dancing they stayed put and as a bonus all of my bridesmaids used the tapes as well!!!

• Take your time and do not rush things. From getting ready to walking down the aisle, just take your time, breathe, smile and enjoy every minute of it! Male also sure you eat, drink and go to the toilet when needed, you are not a robot!

• Learn a couple dance! Our best choice when preparing for our wedding was to take dance lessons and create our own opening Bal choreography. We had so much fun rehearsing and we got to perform not one but two times in front of our friends and family! What an absolute blast!

• The wedding lasts a single day, but the party doesn’t have to. Another advantage of having a closed intimate wedding was that we saved money that would be wasted on a single huge ceremony and invested them in creating a 3-day celebration! Just us having the time of our lives with our friends in a villa!

• Thigs go wrong and that’s ok. Try to keep in mind that no matter how hard you will plan the whole thing, something could always go wrong. It could be the random breakup happening the day after your wedding, or the occasional guests (even in a closed circle as mine) that would try to steal the spotlight and make it all about themselves, who will try to bring you down or create unnecessary drama, but you know what? It is perfectly fine. Because at the end of the day it does not matter as long as everything is perfect for you and your partner. Just make sure you avoid including them ever again to other lifechanging events. But after all what is life is not spiced up with a little bit of drama? Mariage pluvieux, mariage heureux!!!

Xoxo

Your favourite Gossip Bride

It has been almost 12 months since I took a leap of faith and moved to the south of France. Almost a year and it still feels so surreal. I remember during my first weeks here, I was watching a documentary about Vivienne Westwood, one of my all time favorite idols/inspirations and one of the things she said struck me the most and stayed with me through all this year. While describing the reasons why she divorced her first husband and quit her job as a teacher of English (how freakishly relatable!), she precisely said: “I was feeling like I was not fulfilling my potential to learn something about this world. I had to leave and explore other possibilities”. I could never have summarised any better the reasons why I left home except for, of course, adding probably the most important one; following my heart and the love of my life!

It was undeniably hard and challenging, but one year later I couldn’t feel any better about it. My reasons stay the same and are truer than ever, while I don’t regret a single second of it. Not even the tears and the emotional breakdowns; they were all part of the plan and expected. And most importantly, I do feel I am exploring tons of new possibilities, while trying to find my true potential, my goal worth striving for in this life.

Starting my new job and my master’s degree at times drained me emotionally. All the disappointments, the stress, the hardships, being a Greek in France…! Changing my degree because I was too old (!), changing my role at work because my French is not good enough, nobody being even remotely capable of pronouncing my first name… Sometimes it seemed to me almost impossible to fit in.

And then today I saw a quote at LinkedIn that said: “It’s okay to be sad after making the right choice”. And, yeah, it sounds lame but then again it’s true; it justifies all of my struggles so far, because it’s perfectly normal to struggle in order to grow. It was never supposed to be easy in the first place, and if it was, it wouldn’t be the same. As I recently read in a Harvard Business article: “ If you’re completely qualified for the job you apply for, you aim too low. Organisations expect people who are new in a role to grow into the position by asking a lot of questions, seeking mentoring, even making mistakes as they get acclimated to a role. That means you should look for positions that will stretch you, not ones where you can already tick all the boxes.” I do believe in my work ethic, my professionalism and dedication and I know I will pull through eventually; hell I am already coping pretty damn well.

In less than a year, I’ve learned how to drive, to cook, to speak another language, to live with a partner, to take care of a home and most importantly of myself, to be independent. I’ve learned how to be a student again, how to do a job I had few qualifications for to start with, how to be patient, how to make friends from all over the world, how to be more open and most importantly how to rearrange my course of life and start all over again. And I am not gonna stop. I want so much more and I am determined to fight in order to get them.

“Be aggressive about your ambition. Do not allow setbacks to set you back.” 

Stacey Abrams

And although after every failure I feel disheartened and want to stay home playing sick like Meg Ryan in “You’ve Got Mail”, I try to fight this feeling. And instead be Tom Hanks and repeat to myself that its not personal, it’s just business. Our life (luckily!) is not our job. We all need a skin a little bit thicker and then we learn to move on and just let it be.

But the most important thing is to really take a break when you feel like you need it in order to figure things out. This gap year for me was like a deep breath that filled my whole existence with precious oxygen and my brain with a whole new perspective.

Even the moments where I felt like failing and completely stuck and useless, they brought me where I am standing right now. And the view is absolutely beautiful! I have still no idea of what I am going to do with my life, but I am happy and that is the only thing that matters.

Stay positive and stay strong and things will get better. We have to make it worth our efforts.

Do your best to smile and let them wonder why…

So, summing up quarantine feelings, here it goes:

“Everybody had a hard year, Everybody had a good time, Everybody had a wet dream, Everybody saw the sunshine… Oh yeah Oh yeah!”                                             

I’ve Got A Feeling – The Beatles

Now, back to business! This long pause was hard but it gave us time to reflect on things.

I learned how to be happy every single day and focus on that. Take it day by day. I stopped waiting for things to happen in the future and gathered my attention and energy and invested it into the right and the now. I learned that acceptance is a very powerful word. Why stress over and lament for something you clearly have no power to change? I learned to wake up with a purpose. To search for beauty EVERYWHERE and breathe it in, soak it up. Devour it. Cherish it. Embody it. Create it.

I learned that ‘everything happens for a reason’  is absolutely true. I spent so much time with my family that I had never done before. And probably I never will again in the future. Life is so fast , sometimes we forget to live, to spend time together. Hitting that ‘pause’ button was what I needed so badly for a long time.

“Life is too short to wake up with regrets. Love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don’t. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy. They just promised it would be worth it.” Harvey Mckays.

I learned to set priorities and my first priority is me. I learned how to make an effort just for me. Putting on nice clothes and make up just to stay at home or to go for a walk by myself. The most important is to please yourself. I learned how to take care of me , to comfort me, to devour all the little guilty pleasures. I learned how to work under my conditions and my rules. I learned that I am the one to decide for the things that can bother me and for those that can’t. I learned to appreciate what I have and how much blessed I am. I said more ‘thank you’s and ‘i love you’s.  We learned how to be together, though apart.

I learned to not take the easy road and to never give up. I decided to get better after this, more educated, more cultivated, more refined, more happy, more fit, more confident, more beautiful, more fulfilled, more loved and more loving. And I will do my best to keep all the promises that I made during it.

“What define us is the things we love” Goethe

Some people say it was a ‘lost spring’. But as far as it concerns me, it was a spring gained and enjoyed. I witnessed with anticipation the flowers in my balcony blossom and die and blossom again. I walked in nature just for the sake of walking in nature and for being outside soaking up the sun and the colors and scents of spring. We made it a family tradition to have lunch in the balcony accompanied with a good wine, at least once a week. I stayed away from all the things that caused me stress and were keeping me from enjoying my life. I made it a habit to look at the starry sky and say my prayers before going to sleep. I found solutions to my problems. I felt ecstatic everytime the wind or the sun touched my face.

I thought long and hard about the things that make me happy. I try to do these things every day, at least those that I can. I became hungry, impatient and restless for an outstanding summer!!! Never again have I felt so grateful growing up and creating beautiful memories to leave behind! The desire to change my life has been instilled in me and I look forward to the new adventures on my way!

So, I came to the fabulous realisation that life is simply small moments of clarity and appreciation. Taking pleasure every single day, that’s the goal. Let go of past tortures, they are gone and can’t hurt you anymore. Don’t stress about the future, it’s not here yet so anything is possible. Live for now. Enjoy the here and now.

You are loved. You are blessed.

One of the wisest lines I read was: “Quite a number of people have everything, but they are not happy because they want something else or they want more of the same. And we all know people who have lots of misfortune that we ourselves would not want to have, and they are deeply happy…Why? Because they are grateful. So, it is not happiness that makes us grateful. It’s gratefulness that makes us happy.”

Thank you for now, for this moment. For the fact that I am feeling damn fine. This feeling is priceless because I am never going to have it again. 

So, stop. Take a deep breath. Exhale.

Thank you for now.

Continue.

He devoured a cookie in the shape of a cutoff blooded witch finger. The red syrup that gushed though the cookie like blood, made Pepe vomit on top of the decorative ghostly napkins. After that, he grabbed a small piece of Mediterranean pizza shaped like an eye. Shit! It was cold and tasted awful. After the first bite, he threw it on the floor and furiously stepped on it.

He grabbed an Ursus. Who brought these cheap phony drinks? “You are all disgusting and I want you out NOW!” he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. He never agreed to host this party. He wanted a Bourbon so bad… He would kill for a Bourbon. As he was approaching the bar he couldn’t see straight. He fell with great force onto the glass cover and broke it into a thousand pieces. Someone screamed. He couldn’t care less. But the drinks… The fucking drinks and the Bourbon were nowhere to be found… He only found a few marshmallows which he ate greedily, dropping half of them on the floor. Trick or Treat? He stumbled first on a big white torch, then on the broken glass and then on two black candles. And they were lit. WHAT THE HELL? WE WILL GET BURNED ALIVE!!!

Suddenly he saw the skull! “AAAHHHHHHHHHH!” He cried out while his whole body shivered with terror. He dipped his hand deep into the cooler to relieve himself. But he didn’t feel any ice or relief. He only felt a thick liquid. When he pulled his hand out it was red. What the… Hell ? Did they slay anyone? No. It was too early for the sacrifice ritual. He screamed again in absolute disgust and he almost collapsed.

He rushed to the bathroom to clean himself and probably vomit again. He couldn’t open the door so he kicked it. He also kicked 2 morons that were making out in there. Alas! There was no way he could clean himself in that bathroom! It was poorly lit and everywhere he looked there was syrup! Or was it blood? He threw up. He didn’t even notice there was someone in the bathtub. He threw up again. He grabbed the razor. He thought about it for a moment. No. Bourbon was all he needed. And he wanted it NOW. He got out of the bathroom in a frenzy. He started running frantically without a destination. He was only wearing a robe. It laid open and revealed his penis. He didn’t give a horse’s shit.

He went to the living room feeling desperate. The purple lighting made everything spin around him. Where am I? Did I draw that raven on the wall? It’s absolutely ridiculous. He fell on the mattress. Where are my dirty sheets? He couldn’t stand that heavy smell of bleach. Black. Black, charcoal black everywhere. He could see nothing but black. It was so depressing that he liked it. Something tickled him. He tried to catch it. The more he tried to catch it, the more it tickled him. What was it? More tickling. Did it even exist or was it just his imagination? He was trying to get hold of it for almost an hour. He finally caught it. But there was resistance. He pulled it apart. It was black tulle. He threw it on the floor with anguish and despair.

When he stood up he thought he saw Death. No, not the one he had drawn on the wall with a black permanent marker. The real one. Right there, in the small storage room. Behind the great amount of tape that obstructed the entrance. Marv ? No, it wasn’t Marv. There, behind the tape and the spider web, inside the haunted room. How can no one else see it ?! His head. Death’s head. His head…He fainted. He woke up several hours later. He saw a black and white screen.

Was it a movie? What movie was it? Psycho. But why was it upside down? Why on earth was he watching it upside down? Because he was the one lying upside down on the floor. He struggled to get up. He straightened his little robe and his ‘old lady’ wig. He put on some black sunglasses he found on the floor. He hesitantly approached the crucified man. He got closer to the cross and the crucified man. This head…lying on the cross. He swore he had seen this head before. He knew that head. He touched the head. That dead head. Was it Death’s head? Could it be the same head? Maybe. He didn’t care.

He pushed the door and went into the Virgin’s room. A white sheet and a blood stain in the middle. Was it blood? Vaginal blood? He lied right on top of it. GET OUT! I want to be alone. Leave me in peace. But they didn’t. Imbeciles! Cretins! Fools! Faggots! He rose and put on the old lady’s wig again. He looked hungrily at the pills on the night table…Maybe? No. He wanted the Bourbon more than ever! He went out for some air. He stole a cigarette from somebody’s mouth and he smoked it like it was his last day on earth. He looked at some pathetic bimbos right across the entrance hall. He extended his butcher’s cleaver towards them in a perverted manner. He wanted the Bourbon. He wiped his sweat in the wig. It was too small for his big head and he started to feel hot and freaked out. He went back inside like he was on fire!

The ritual had just begun. It was a ritual for catharsis but he did not see his own salvation anywhere near… Pretentious bullshit. Rosemary’s Lullaby. He got the chills all over his body. A drunkard’s laughter. He gave no shits. But suddenly, someone dressed as Jesus Christ came out of the Virgin’s Room. “Bow down, you fucking sinners!” he heard her screaming. Oh, my… was it Jesus himself? Everyone laid low on the floor. Pepe Gaga had to sit down too and he did so very unwillingly.

A crown full of thorns. He almost felt himself pierced. Rosemary’s Lullaby. A nobody singing a Bible gospel. Shut the fuck up! Who was the other blindfolded chick? She took off her dress. Open zippers, cool. Sins and Holy Communion. Sins and Holy Communion. Sins and Holy Communion. Rosemary’s Lullaby. He started laughing hysterically. At the top of his lungs. It was funny. But not so much.

He went back to the bathroom to be alone. And then he saw her. The girl in the bathtub. Holding his Bourbon in her filthy hands! He grabbed it and started pulling it away from her with all the strength he had. She wouldn’t let it go, the dirty slut. He slapped her furiously and kept pulling. He finally got it. His beloved Bourbon. He drunk the last drops like he was thirsty for years. But there was not much left in the bottle. He felt his head exploding. He slapped her three consecutive times. But Pepe Gaga was not pleased. So, he started hitting her on the head. With the Bourbon. Again and again and again. With unbelievable cruelty. Her head opened in two. He kept on hitting. He started crying. There was no one in the bathtub. He dipped his hands in blood. He filled the wall with marks of his blooded palms. I don’t understand anything…Pepe Gaga laughed and then he cried again. Rosemary’s Lullaby…

Pepe Gaga woke up. Everybody had left. Was it all a dream? He went to the balcony for a smoke. His favorite little corner. He kicked the chair. Then he put it back up and sat on it. He stood up again. He stepped on the chair and looked down. He was on the fourth floor. He supported himself on the protective railings. He inhaled the smoke with pleasure. My life a cigarette – it slowly fades away…My life…He jumped in the open before he could finish his sentence. Rosemary’s lullaby.

[Dedicated to a friend who left us too soon.]

They said your mind was sick. But I think your mind was beautiful. You made me dream big and take risks. You taught me to be open-minded and accept differences even if I could not fully understand them. We created together, we traveled together, we partied together, we laughed together. You taught me that European cinema is art and that I should read, write and travel more. You encouraged me to laugh out loud and made my life exciting and full of soul. 

I miss you terribly, mate.

The operation took place at the big central clinic downtown with an amazing view of the port. Yet it didn’t make the whole operation less scary but I can say with fierce determination that it was totally and undeniably worth it.

I was chill with the pill they gave me in the waiting room and during the time they were preparing me. But the moment I was instructed to lay still and look at what was about to bombard my eyes, I admit I was frightened. A slight move of my leg could move my head and thus my eyes…

I kept absolutely still counting the seconds…I could hear the beating of my heart so strong…The smell of burning was the worst part by far…

I was 10 years old when my dad took me for a stroll one night to inspect my situation. I had just been diagnosed as short-sighted and had to wear glasses at school and when watching TV. My dad was inconsolable. “That’s why you crook your back when you study? You can’t see?” he asked me with sad puppy eyes. Then he kept showing me signs to check if I could read them without glasses. “No, dad, I can’t read them, it’s blurry.” I told him and his eyes were filled with disappointment. No, actually he wasn’t disappointed, he was hurt. He could not deal with the fact that any of his children were anything less than perfect.

15 years later, I crook my back and have a problem writing these lines. My eyes are not myopic anymore but sensitive because it’s my third day of my eye-lazer surgery.

Dad is not here anymore to feel proud, but he played a crucial part in this decision. He had a crude way of pointing out some things. The rehabilitation process is a small torture but I know it’s one of the best decisions I have ever made and although it’s too soon, I already feel free!

Glasses were not for me. No more late night struggling with my contact lenses. No more blind days at the beach. No more excruciating nights at home where my glasses don’t let me lay on my pillow as I want. No more eye infections from the hateful contact lenses.

However, doing this surgery requires patience and a strong stomach. It is extremely disturbing to not have control of your eyesight. I was even fed by my mother. I had my hair up in a bun 24/7 because not even a hair should have touched my eyes. I couldn’t read, write, watch TV, use my phone, eat by myself, talk to someone and actually looking at them at the same time.

I couldn’t go out in the sun or be in a bright room. I was counting the minutes of every hour to receive my next eye treatment with drops. What a torture to count time like that and just wait… Of course it was much better of what I thought when I was younger and believed that after this surgery I would stay blindfolded for days…

And what did I do these 4 days while waiting? I drank lots of water. Not sure why. Maybe because I was so bored and that was something I could actually do without hurting my eyes and I also enjoyed the rides, to the kitchen and to the restroom, it kept me moving and busy. It also hydrated my body and especially my face that was extremely smooth and glowing all those days considering that I couldn’t even wash it properly. I used a Q-tip to smoothly clean the area around my eyes and a small wet towel for the rest of my face taking precautions not to drop any water inside my eyes. And for the same reason my hair had to be washed like in the hairdresser’s by my mum. And then the absurdity of being able to read the subtitles in a distant TV , but not my own phone texts, since the contact lenses I had as stitches got pretty blurry from all the drops I was putting every hour!

Through this whole procedure I really came to love myself again. My eyes that I always underestimated, my skin, my whole face. I could never think I could pass so many days without makeup. I found the beauty that glows within! And I also received tons of love and care, I was spoiled like a baby!

After three days much of the discomfort was gone and I was so happy I felt like dancing all day! The days that followed especially after the stitches were removed (one week after the surgery) I went against to almost all the advice I took from my cute ‘Tom Ford double’ doctor!

I did go to the beach (wearing huge diva sunglasses) , I did go to concerts and partied in places with smoke (strictly forbidden) and occasionally forgot to take my sunglasses when going outside in the sun. Huuuuuge mistake.

But I would do it all over again except for the last part! Because it was so amazing  I couldn’t compose my excitement! And I can’t even remember myself wearing glasses or contact lenses. I deleted all from my memory!

So, if you are thinking about it, I cannot scream enough to tell you how badly you should move your ass and do it! Because now 8 months after the surgery, there hasn’t been a day that I woke up and  didn’t feel extremely thankful for the miracle that allows me to see perfectly! Damn, I am thankful right this moment! I am thankful because I am free!

And a few exclusive backstage photos of me as the patient for all of you!

XOXO ,  keep rocking!

Go to tango party or head home? Yes, go and tango! Buy new bikini or save your money? Yes, buy your hundredth bikini! (Don’t take financial advice from me, never!) Do you want to waste your time on a French guy? Yes , yes I DO!

Say yes to love, yes to craziness, yes to giving, yes to sharing, yes to partying, yes to traveling the world, yes to adventure, yes to trying new things, yes to taking the chance…YES! OUI! NAI!

I took a tour on my blog the other day and I was utterly shocked by the fact that I haven’t posted anything since last May. The interesting thing is that I started writing a couple of articles but all these months I did not manage or simply want to publish any of them.

Probably I needed this break to stop writing and start living. I need time to experience, if I want to write from experience! So, I fully focused on myself, my well-being and my happiness and magic just happened!!! My heart became fully open to new challenges… And I really opened my eyes, mark my word.

After a big loss, love disappointments and other things that proved to be a waste of time, I happily found what I have always wanted; the way to be happy!!!

Because all I ever wanted

It’s in your eyes, baby

And love can’t lie, no

My love is always telling me so

Heaven is your kiss and your smile

Just hold on, hold on

And I won’t let you go my baby

The months that followed I put in action all the things I wanted to do for years!

Lazer my eyes,(yas bitches no more glasses or contact lenses! -new article on that is coming!)

Driving Lessons (I don’t want to discuss the outcome of this)

Learn French (oui, oui, oui)

Lazer to my whole body (hairy free!)

Continue working on my portfolio and start looking for design school (Tom Ford get ready!)

Start dancing (oh yes I am a clumsy tango dancer!)

Travel, travel, travel!!! (2019 found me travelling to 5 different countries so far and more is coming!)

There is no perfect time for anything. Now is the time, go out and live it! Yes to being young and a little reckless and spontaneous!!! To live your dream life does not necessarily mean to achieve all your wildest dreams , but to share those dreams with the right person.

Dreams can reach their peak and then fade, but true love doesn’t. It can make you happy every day! And that’s my only wish! Cheers to all the best yet to come!!! xoxo

That’s the essence of Freedom.

Imposed morals, on the other hand, seem to limit one’s freedom. That thought made her sad. She turned up the volume of her white stereo. “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” … The song matched her turbulent soul. If her father had had any last words for her, they would have been the lyrics of this song. A versatile song like her. She had been accused many times of not being trustworthy and loyal just because she did what she wanted. What an idiotic and unfair opinion! And what is morality? The act of doing the right thing? Right for who? For other people or for yourself? If you can’t do what’s right for you then what’s the point? Why isn’t a moral code to be who you want to be, your true self? To find where you belong and stick to that?

And that place is not an actual one of course, because she would refuse to get tied down anywhere. It’s a concept. As everything else in her life. The concept of being enthusiastic and not afraid to show off, to live, to feel, to love, to fail – to express what is in your heart! And the happiness of being surrounded by such people. People who go against ‘must’s, societal norms and boring morals. People who celebrate who they are and they don’t give a fuck.

Her time management was her worst feature -along with cooking and singing of course-. She lied still in bed contemplating if she should get up and begin her stretching routine, stay in bed and read her book or even go back to sleep. She had ample time in the mornings since she stopped fighting for the ’cause’. She resigned because soullessness and hypocrisy was not her cup of tea. Not having a personal life for the sake of being an advocate of a random, delusive purpose killed her vibe…

That was not how her parents raised her. The daughter of a chic rock ‘n’ roll dreamer who taught her to abandon anything or anyone that didn’t make her happy and her refined, beautiful mother who made her independent and named her Joy and ‘the one who is full of grace‘… She had to live up to their expectations… She worked hard and mastered the art of being the most gracefully clumsiest person alive! And most importantly her smile and determination were the 2 things that no one could ever take away from her. She was a hippie queen, untamed, emotional and continuously on the quest for beauty!

She liked original people that approach you because they genuinely like you and they open their hearts to you just because they felt a connection.

People who will wait patiently for you in the bus station despite the heavy storm that wrecks havoc…! People who will carry your 14 kg bookcase all through IKEA, while you are both in a rush to drop it off to the movers and run to catch a date…People who will search for you really determined in the middle of the night, even though they have no means of communication. People who will truly hug you and tell you, “Let’s just go to Paris! Or to a music festival” while you watch the sunrise after a long and adventurous night!

People who are FUN. People that although they haven’t seen you in a while, will lay with you on the floor, starting incoherent conversations while biting on red roses. People who will rise above the circumstances and show you their love, tenderness and generosity, even though you haven’t talked in years. Old friends that stay true and spontaneously meet up and spend the night with you. The old girl crew, just like old times… Like nothing bad ever happened… Because letting go is one of the most beautiful moves…

As she missed the bus for a third consecutive day, she watched another one coming right to her rescue and she knew it was her sheer luck and nonchalance that always let her get away with her reckless attitude. It was a gift and an absolute travesty.

On the way home from work, she dived into the front seat, forgot about her company and thought about him for a moment. She felt it was somehow inexplicable that he was still trying to hold on to something that was lost and all over. But also inevitable.

She missed him but the thing he didn’t realize was that she never liked men who are insecure and afraid. She liked the kind of men who are confident as fuck and have guts and sometimes -most of the times- audacity. She had always liked the guy whom she’d disliked at first. That’s a golden rule: “If he doesn’t get into your nerves, then he isn’t worth getting into your head.” And most of all she could not resist a man who could play the sax.

She ignored his message without any guilt. His effort made her sad but at the same time it amused her; how can someone still striving to defend his ego and his “manhood” when it’s crystal clear he has lost? He was the king of being predictable and banal, so it was a no-no.

After she decided it was all over she went out for drinks looking and feeling hotter than ever. Her favorite Kamikaze shots kept coming while he made his first move. He was athletic, aloof, common looking and irritating to the point that she realized she kinda liked him. But she didn’t give him a chance to go on with it. She cut him off and regretted it for days to come.

“Is it any wonder I reject you first? Is it any wonder you are too cool to fool?”  Bowie.

She went to another bar and dizzy as hell she made out with one of the guys that hit on her, the easiest target and definitely not her style. She never gave him her number or any other form of contact. The next day she accidentally met him on the bus and hid herself right away because she knew it meant nothing to her. She was hurt last night, and all and she wanted was just to take the edge off. What a shame a few days later the aloof guy walked in just as she was ready to leave and he was sexy in a Miles Kane way, but the timing was so fucking wrong…

She didn’t even remember his name after a while. But she was so dangerously in love with the idea of him. She knew it was wrong…But she couldn’t help it. And he was just one of those in the bucket list. That brought S. back to her mind. She became lost in her thoughts…His attitude, his look, his naughtiness…He was the perfect man for her. Handsome, confident, manly but playful, hard but flirty…When they first met he lingered on her without shame and she grabbed his name tag with a similar attitude. The straightforward manner with which he revealed his feelings and thoughts was outstanding; his sexiest attribute whatsoever. Felt like love at first sight, lame but accurate.

But she was looking for something else. A more self-assured guy, funny, available, mature enough and ambitious, handsome and sweet. And she met him (sadly for her) at a bar. He had such a ravishing smile and his coolness was so fascinating! He gave out some vague signs of liking her but nothing too straightforward. Kind of shy, kind of reserved and absolutely sexy. He had style, looks, humor and surprisingly, he was not cocky and snob. What a catch…he would have been, but he unfortunately wasn’t. The vague signs became confusing gestures that totally misled her and made her try moves she should never have. Being trapped into a vicious circle of having to guess who is lying and who is not, exhausted her. She crossed his name out of her bucket list.

Whenever she wanted to free herself she turned off her cell and indulged into something artistic or searched and experimented on the nature of her many fetishes… She loved windows and mirrors and the feng sui principle that dictated them facing each other in a room, so that the reflections create depth & beauty. She also had the peculiar habit of having her window blinds open at all times. Even when she was sleeping or undressing herself… Windows exist so that people can look at the world even if they are staying in. If she couldn’t look at the sky she had the uncanny feeling that the walls would devour her…Closed windows depressed her more than anything in the world…

She got carried away again. How she loved it when a guy gave her his unbounded attention… Zooming on her like there’s no one else in the room… And that night the moon was the biggest she had ever seen, but she was stealing all the lights… Much better than the night she saw number 1 again -the starter guy- and fell twice off the chair! Or the Nelo affair that had always been a hard thing to swallow, no matter how many years had passed…

” Desire is intense, irrational and alarmingly mobile. The speed with which desire can be detached from one object and attached to a different one does not diminish the exigency of the passion. Because lovers are convinced at any moment that their choices are irrefutably rational and irresistibly complelling. “

Stephen Greenblatt

She tought of that while she was trying to keep herself awake in the bus, yawning non-stop… She couldn’t help but noticing all the people who were starting their day while she was finishing hers…And she felt absolutely fabulous & unchained in her little silver dress, so fairylike and inappropriate for this hour of day!

But when she reached her little kingdom she had lost any desire to go to sleep… She kept looking outside her open-hearted window, feeling ridiculously in love with the guy she had known for 5 years, but never really paid him the attention he deserved…She went sleeping when the sun was finally up thinking she will never be dead serious and she will never compromise, because life is just a play and “we are such stuff as dreams are made on…”

We all know there are some moments in life when you’re down and all alone. And you know you have no other choice but to go through with it. I was 19 years old when I experienced my first sexual harassment. Back then, I only told a good friend of mine who had been through something similar.

You always expect to be strong and fight off the attack, especially when it comes from a person you know. But when it happens, you feel so powerless; you just stand there like uncut ice. You stand still, you endure, you suffer… But this suffering is nothing compared to what comes next; the feeling of being dirty and abused. A big, fat, humiliated nothing, that’s how you feel like, and for quite some time.

I hate it when ‘men’ use their strength against and not in order to protect women. It’s like they know they can harm you and they take absolute advantage of it. For me, that’s a shameful kind of a man. A real man would never consciously hurt a woman in this total way, physical and emotional. NEVER. A real man can and ought to be chivalrous, kind and dignified.

I honestly don’t know if I will ever get over it completely. I’m still working on it, I guess. I don’t trust men easily and I avoid random hook-ups and one night stands, because I don’t want to get myself into situations I might regret. I struggled to reclaim my sexuality, but that’s life and unfortunately, we all have to live with cruelty. People would deliberately victimize you, but the question is would you victimize yourself?

“The world is full of most unkind and horrible is redefined, I can’t imagine that you’d mind at all…” Plastic Tramp, Arctic Monkeys

Well I, after the first shock,  made the decision to deny the role of the victim. Just because the majority of men in my life viewed me -and still view me- as an object, that doesn’t mean that I have to consider myself an object as well. I have more self-esteem than that. So, I let it go and moved on. I was even more comfortable than him, when we met again. I didn’t run away, I didn’t hide like a frightened puppy.

Besides, I was forced to seeing him frequently, that’s why I decided to be brave and face him. He hurt me once; I would never let him make me feel anymore uneasy ever again. And he didn’t even dare. He was full of guilt and uneasiness and ultimately shocked by the fact that I wasn’t. And when the time was right, I got my revenge by putting him in his right place. And I enjoyed it immensely. I got the upper hand once and for all, I might say, since last week I met him again and I rejected him again. And it did feel good.

A few months after the incident, I faced a similar situation but I managed to get out. We all have a hidden power. What we need to do, is to believe in ourselves. Just because people underestimate us and treat us poorly, we don’t have to accept it and do the same to ourselves. Life is too short for not being true to yourself. And I’m not only talking about physical hurt, but emotional as well. Don’t let others abuse you and step on you emotionally.

I am not saying I never let it happen to me. I do fall in the trap occasionally and resent myself for that. But when I give myself to someone, I demand the same back.  I don’t settle for less than what I need and ultimately crave. I don’t compromise, and for the love of God, I do not feel sorry for myself! Whatever bad happens to you, it’s not your fault. If someone betrayed you, left you, abused you, you are not to blame. Don’t make yourself the enemy. Learn from your mistakes and try not to repeat them. Trust yourself and don’t be forced to say it’s ok when it’s not. What makes you feel bad, it’s not ok, so don’t accept it, do something about it.

And to get this straight, I am a feminist, but above all, I am a humanist. I believe we should treat and love all people equally, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental state. And I don’t blame the “system” for making women ‘inferior’ to men. Gender stereotypes exist for a reason; because they suit us.

I am a feminist because I don’t like segregation of any kind. However, I don’t consider the need to be protected by a ‘stronger’ man as a disability. We are not victims and we don’t have to impose our power on anybody in order to prove that. It’s about time we stopped fighting discrimination in a disruptive manner.

“ I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness- not by each other’s misery.

We think too much and feel too little. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost…” Charlie Chaplin, ‘Great Dictator’

That’s why I am not really in favour of the #MeToo movement. What’s the point of making girls brave by telling them “if you ever get raped, make it public” ? No, that’s not a solution. If I ever have a daughter, I’ll teach her how to protect herself, how to avoid becoming an object to someone else’s desire and not how to state it after it has happened. That’s way too late. If it happens to her I’ll support her and help her get through it, whether she likes to talk about it or not. And if I ever have a son I’ll teach him to be kind and gentle like a real man should. I’ll say to both of them “treat others, they way you want others to treat you.” That will make the world better.

“And it will get better – for all of us – if we treat each other with decency and compassion. Manners are how we show respect for those around us and for ourselves. When I see others enthusiastic about these issues, I truly believe that we can make the world a warmer, politer, more caring place. The revolution begins with us.” Tim Gunn, Gunn’s Golden Rules.

So, it all starts with us. We just need to be ‘the bigger man’ and care a little more for others. Life would be so much more simpler and more beautiful if we were a little less judgmental and a little more understanding.

Begin with you. Understand and embrace who you are, and even if you get hurt don’t get back at the world by hurting others. You belong to yourself and nobody else. Feel free and reclaim your dignity, your self-esteem, your body, your sexuality, your power and embrace all your desires and your needs. Scream out: “My body is mine, my soul is mine, I AM MINE.”

“The most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the ‘you’ you love, well that’s just fabulous!” Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City.

Life is a series of choices and today I choose to be free and happy.

“Hearts can’t break themselvesLooking for something, leaving with nothing…But souls can save themselves by learning to fly!” Paolo Nutini, Looking for Something.

 #EmpowerYourself #LearnHowToFly

I got in the mood and immediately started thinking of festival outfits. But then as it was slowly approaching, certain problems started arising in my head and they were holding me back.

I was about to bail when in an ‘Almost Famous’ moment under the starry sky, I said: “It’s All Happening!” and went home to start packing. The only thing bringing me down now was that I had to travel alone and I was thinking ‘where is the fun in traveling all by myself?”.

Little did I know.

I never realized how 3 hours passed by while I was sitting at the back of a half empty bus, along with a good friend of mine (I accidentally met there!) and all her friends! And talking about fun, try pinpointing the tents of your friends (who are in the beach and won’t answer any of your calls) in a vast forest with thousands of campers… Yeah! You got me!

So, that is how this amazing experience started and I was in a total ‘Let’s fucking RAGE!‘ mood!!!

But let’s clarify things a little bit…

[ Rage: to party extremely hard- excessive drinking, smoking, boozing or any combination of the three. ]

About 3 years ago when I bought Alexa Chung‘s book “ It ”, I stumbled across the following phrase just after the chapter about music festivals;

How to rage:

Get a balloon and a best friend.

Go to a festival in the desert.

Be 24.

Back then I mocked it ’cause I found it a little bit pretentious. 3 years later right after I came back from my very own first music festival, I can’t help but think she was absolutely right!

I gotta tell you this is the only way to rage in a summer music festival (in my case minus the balloon, plus a bubble toy -which is a must- and all the rest apply).

Here are some tips for virgins like myself in order to make the best out of your first camp out music festival…

Survival Guide 101 for your first music festival:

• Alexa Chung and Piniterest will be your number 1 inspirations when packing your things and getting in the mood.

• Light packing is a must. When I see people carrying suitcases in camping and nagging about it, I feel a strong urge to slap them in the face repeatedly. A big bag pack and your camping essentials is all you need.

• You might as well bring a fanny pack for your personal stuff. I didn’t have one so I used small purses, attached to neck chains I had from past conferences. I looked cool at first, but my neck was tortured with unbelievable cruelty and I switched to a small bag pack.

• No matter how big your car is, if you’re planning several rides with 7+ people loaded, you might wanna try loud music and singing all the way through. It’s the only way to survive the heat and the parking problems that would most surely arise.

• Be open-minded and patient when discussing the different genres of music and how these can be defined in music terms. This discussion will surely last several hours and will never lead to any definite conclusions.

• Forget manicure of any kind. Your nails will break, the nail polish will go and you will be left with sloppy nails filled with dirt. Go with short cut ‘working girl’ nails, clean and practical.

• Sleeping bags are not mattresses. If you can’t bring a mattress at least bring a pillow, because your towel will be wet and you might need to wear your sweater.

• Rail tracks is a good place to camp since you will always find your way back and you will feel cool watching all the people walking by your tent, BUT if you love your buttocks, bring something else to sit on.

• Festival Outfits were the main thing I packed and they would be perfect for a festival like Glastonbury, Pinkpop, Lollapalooza, Coachella, etc. BUT for a Greek summer free camping festival these are useless.

  The only clothes you need are: lots of bathing suits (literary they would be your second skin), 2-3 pairs of shorts (hotpants, denim, athletic, whatever you like and feel comfortable sleeping in), T-shirts, foulards and sneakers for the concerts (because there is a lot of of dirt, dust and sweat) and CODE RED for girls a sweater and tights for after the concert if you plan to stay out all night till dawn!

  

• You WON’T need: underwear, make up (except for sunscreen & glitter), jewelry, sandals (unless you use them as flip-flops) sleep and an attitude.

• Be careful! Soap is not a hair cleanser. It will not remove the salt water AT ALL.

• Boys restrooms are surprisingly cleaner than the girls restrooms (I guess boys prefer nature and next time I’ll do the same).

• Drinking before the concerts is one of the brightest ideas ever. Especially if you audaciously crash on somebody else’s table and start taking wasted photos with hundreds of hashtags (’cause you’ll definitely want to remember the highlights of the incoherent discussions you’re gonna have)

• If you’re interested in what the local artists are selling, buy something right away, because when you come back way after the concerts have ended, around 5-6 am, surprisingly enough they won’t still be open!

• Don’t be afraid of traveling on your own. You never know who you will end up meeting on your way there. Plus the determination with which you will decide the right tents to put your things in is a fantastic “I don’t give a shit” moment! Plus on your way back you won’t need any company since you will be sleeping all time long.

• If you wear contact lenses practice ways to wear them independently of a mirror and a restroom (I didn’t manage to do it, but I watched others doing it in complete  awe!)

• Forget about your cell phone. In free camping festivals, electricity to charge your phone is hard to find so you’ll need to save your battery. Use it only in emergencies- when you’ve lost your friends in the crowd or when you’re so wasted you just have to capture the moment.

• When you face transportation problems, strangers at your own age will happily exchange information with you, but the only ones who will really help you are older locals. (sounds perverted but it’s not).

• Sometimes random bars in the nearby area can play better music than the actual concerts. So what if you miss a few gigs when you can have a better time at the bar dancing and sharing embarassing stories with strangers…

• If you feel ugly, drink some booze, put some glitter on (anywhere), dance, blow some bubbles and smile! You’ll immediately feel like a goddess!!!

• The previous strictly applies for night hours. If you feel ugly in the morning, make sure you wash your face somehow and wear as least as possible so that others direct their looks to your body and not to your face (especially if these others are the cute guys you met the night before). Bikinis are a good solution, much better than my ex’s loose T-shirt and tights combo I was wearing…!

• KEY LESSON of this festival: BE AUTONOMOUS! You can’t find your friends? Have fun sitting next to the sound engineer (or on top of him). Even when you arrive home and you’re so tired but of course you forgot your keys and of course your mum is at the beach, just spend a couple of hours at the bus station cafeteria. Buy something cold to drink and watch the fashion channel until it’s time to get the bus home… And maybe you’ll arrive at the same time your mum does!

• And last but definitely not least, deers are the most beautiful animals everrrrr… I would give everything to have their horns and graceful walking…!

  So, let’s keep on RAGING!!! Until next time…!

  

I mean miniskirts came along! Tight clothes, heavy makeup and amazing hairdos for both men and women- I am talking about bangs of course. Bell-bottoms, fake furs, overalls, big hats…

So many movements: mods, hippies, brits, rockers, swingers, teddy boys, psychedelics, new dandies, bohemians…! And all these under the swinging attitude: “we are young, charming, ambitious, talented, super-stylish and above all rebels because we don’t give a damn.”

These past decades of the 20^th century were all about bold statements. Especially the magnificent swinging sixties! That’s why we cannot stop referencing them.

However, after the new millennium we’ve entered and since been living the ‘The Age of The Understatement’… (Last Shadow Puppets reference totally intended, because if somebody’s bringing retro and sexy back it’s got to be them!). Everything is mixed up and a chaos has been created. But not a good chaos; nothing stands out. And when it does, it’s because it’s overly sexy and provocative in a cheap or shocking way. No year or decade is special. No statement is positively bold enough in its uniqueness.

Why are we so fascinated about the past and feel unable to appreciate the now and make it cooler than yesterday?

I believe it shouldn’t be this way; just recycling meaninglessly what we have already seen. Because now we’ve got all this inspiration and knowledge from the past decades, which we should use for our benefit; to make something new. We can create something much more powerful and DARING. There are no more limits. We can mix, match, invent and re-invent ANYTHING we want! With a slight change, because now we do care about what’s going on in the world and we should give a damn. We should put our soul, not indifference, into everything we do. We should start from a complete change of our mentality. We should create awe and a positive chaos. A REVOLUTION.

And I believe it will happen, because stylish people are dying for a change. The other day I was at a fabulous masquerade party! I was out for some air when a lovely stranger spilled the remaining of my beer all around my butt. We started talking and he said to me: “I wanted to tell you that your fake fur and your bell-bottoms upgrade the aesthetics of the whole town!” “I was thinking the same thing about your turban!” I replied. We kissed goodnight and promised each other to meet again someday at a more fashionable place of the world!!!

Every moment is precious and a good excuse for feeling fabulous, confident and stylish!

My father was born in 1956 in a small village in Northern Greece. He escaped his traditional rural background and became a swinger and a rocker developing a remarkable taste in fashion, music and lifestyle. He left home when he was 18 and started to rock and roll. He studied design an area he had amazing talent in. He could elaborate on Jimi Hedrix’s virtuosity although he never learnt to play any musical instrument. He could appreciate John Lennon’s wit and song-writing while he didn’t even speak English. He proved that taste and style is not something you imitate; it is a state of mind, a way of living and a matter of strong personality and self-confidence.

The swinging sixties were an explosion. After that anything became possible. The doors to freedom have been wide open since then. You can do whatever you want to, or at least you dare to give it a shot. We can dress up, express ourselves, have fun, live the moment, explore the world, reject societal norms, mock parental advice, experience sexual liberation and cultural elevation, see absolute freedom as our given and undeniable right.

We can grab the chance to change the world only because we are young and cool; the chance to create a new fairer and more beautiful world. Let’s open our eyes to this world and even see beyond that. Let’s make our every moment count. Let’s make our life fun, passionate and meaningful!

You say you want a revolution…Well, you know we all want to change the world… You better free your mind instead…Don’t you know it’s gonna be all right all right all right….. The Beatles.