Miley Cyrus New body

Love her style

Love her hair

Just love her in general

Favorite looks from Billboard Awards

Love,

Alina

Kitchen Memoir

Something I wrote for my english class and i don't mid sharing
It is about my relationship to kitchen

 This is also unedited version/meaning contains few mistakes :(

            My most vivid memories are of me sitting in the kitchen talking to my grandmother while she cooked. Most of my life I lived with grandparents. At the age of five I first began to live with my mother’s grandmother. Ever since I started living with her, she cooked all the meals for me.  She spent most of time in the kitchen, and she could do so because she did not work. She loved to cook. She would spend hours in the kitchen either backing or cooking. I was always there with her in the kitchen. I did not usually help but I listened. She talked about a recipe she was making. She was telling me how she was making it. She told me about the value of family recipes and she had a quite a few stories about them.

            When I got a bit older, I would help her to make the food. I would stand next to her, mostly in her way, trying to help. She kept teaching me about cooking, but I never could remember the recipes. She always laughed at me and said I need to look for a husband who can cook or I will be spending a lot of money at restaurants.

            Sometimes other people would join us in the kitchen. It was always family women and close friends. It was never big events; we just sat in the kitchen and cooked. Surrounded by all these women, for whom cooking was part of their humanity taught me a value of a good home cooked meal. The recipes were old but their taste was tested with time and they never failed us. The combination of women and recipes was very comforting. Food united us as well as that kitchen. They all had different opinions and were not afraid to speak them. That caused few sour looks but never sour food. They also never gave up on teaching me how to cook.

            I was reluctant all those times. But as I was growing, I picked up some cooking skills from them. I am still not a good cook but I baked. I began small, just making few cupcakes and it became bigger with time. I made a lot of mistakes. I burned a lot of dough and almost caused a fire. That taught me that few mistakes are not the reason to give up something. Failed attempts are the growing process. My grandmother was by my side all those times, patiently teaching me. She never gave up and that paid off. By the time I was thirteen, I baked cakes for all the events in that small kitchen.

            When I moved to United States but dream was to go back to that kitchen and bake. But it was not baking that missed because we do have an oven at home. What I missed was that kitchen with my grandmother in it and people coming in and out. The comfort of the kitchen, the delicious smells, that were always present, cannot be imitated.

            The kitchen was my little world. I learned valuable lessons of life. I learned how to appreciate what I have and appreciate others. I saw conflicts and how they were resolved. Leaving that kitchen was like leaving home and moving on. Moving on to bigger things, grown up life. But leaving that kitchen did not mean that I could not come back. Every time I come to Ukraine, I cook in that kitchen along side my grandmother. It brings back memories of childhood and that little world that existed only for me.

Love,

Alina

How to survive days after sleepless nights

Many of us have those days when we do not sleep because of different causes. It can be either a stressful week at work or like in my situation it is finals week and few weeks before it. 

I personally have a stress related insomnia, so once I start freaking out about my finals, I stop sleeping. Not a great combination.

When that happens I usually sleep around 2-4 hours a night. Some might say it is normal for a college student but not its not normal for me. I prefer sleeping at least 6 hours a night in order to function well. 

Sleep is required for out body to function, and well survive.

So what do I do not do when I do not get my beauty sleep:

Eat candy--> it is a big nono. Sugar will cause your body to be fooled and cause a quick raise in body sugar and then crash. Crash is not good for our bodies. Usually it will cause you to fall asleep when you least want to.

Watch TV/Read--> relaxes you. I know in my personal expreience that if I pick a book or watch one episode of something I will fall asleep because it doesn't require for your brain to work and just turns it off.

So what should you do:

Eat fruits--natural sugars but do not overdo it

exercise--> endorphins make you happy and energetic

walk outside--> fresh air is great to wake you up

take a shower/cold shower--> no hot shower but cold shower is a great way to wake you up

eat a piece of dark chocolate--> a little pice is always good for your brain :)

coffee--> well i am a starbuck addict and a cup of coffee is good but it all has to be in moderate sizes

so the point is: a little of everything is ok but do no go overboard.

After all hell is over, spend a days just dedicated to yourself. Sleep, read, lounge, spa day.

Update:

I am finished with my English class. Yay. One less to worry.
Now to focus on Chem exams, bio, math and history.
All is going to be done after May 24. :) 


Love, 
Alina
Have fun studying for all those with finals week

Growing Up

Lately, I have been missing my childhood. I have a lot of decisions to make. When we are children, we don't have to worry about anything except choosing what candy to eat. I really miss those days. When I did not have to work, decide anything or do anything, it was great. We did not worry about money, all we were fighting about was curfews, not cleaning your room or lunch. We had nap times, which we hated then but so desperately need today. We were able to go out with friends and just play in the park, run around mindlessly. Where are those days?
I am nineteen now and I feel like time flew by so fast. It was just 6 years ago when I moved here and now I am in college. 
Life goes by so fast and we want to grow up so fast, but when we actually do, we miss those old, simple days. 

Here are few lovely quotes about growing up:
“Most people don't grow up. Most people age. They find parking spaces, honor their credit cards, get married, have children, and call that maturity. What that is, is aging.” 
― Maya Angelou


“Growing up happens when you start having things you look back on and wish you could change -Clary Fray”
― Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes

Nothing lasts forever, so live it up, drink it down, avoid the b.s, take chances and never regret because at one point it was what you wanted. Have a good night, Alina

Organic skin care?

I have heard many good things about organic products and making products by yourself for your skin without the crap that is usually added to todays products but I do not know where to start.

I have very teenage skin. I have acne(still battling), oily and sensitive skin. If I use something and my skin doesnt like it, it will FREAK OUT. Like recently, I have no idea why but my skin broke out like crazy and it is so hard to get back where I was recently. So now i've got semi bad skin. You see my dilemma.

Organic products have been known to be gentle, yet effective.

I am wondering if any of you have heard any good organic products or DIY for skin care?

Thanks ahead,

Alina

American Psyco

American Psycho (Intro Chapter)

I already mentioned this book and movie before and if you are not convinced, watch this video. Hot and steamy with a hint of sociopathy at the end. :)
Love,
Alina

Gotta love New York subway and it's entertainment

Trader Joe's shopping

Snacks 

Breakfast

Lunch/Dinner

 

Alina