And here we are, another year has passed, another place to celebrate it, yet different circumstances and more goals achieved ... But still this pride that doesn’t leave me but grows more and more every day. Just out of bed, I’ve expressed my gratitude and recognised that hardships in life happen to make us stronger and wiser. "The future can awaken in a more beautiful way than the past." George Sand 2017 Everything started in Santorini, this magical island in the Aegean Sea, which brought me back to life on May 27, 2017. I was to marry the man I loved, but I found myself on my own before the altar. I had no idea of my future, only the present mattered to me then, and my Solo Wedding was my lifebuoy. 2018 The Spanish capital, Madrid, I’ve never thought I would be there on May 27, 2018. I was preparing for a third attempt to freeze my eggs; I was on hormonal treatment and I was doing the daily injections myself. I was alone and extremely emotional because of the hormones, not to mention the stress of a possible new failure. Despite this, I’ve celebrated my 1st wedding anniversary with fun, starting with churros for breakfast, or rather porras (Madrid specialty, like churros but bigger)!! I stayed for several months, which allowed me to spend time in museums, especially in the Prado, my favourite museum. I was also very active on the blog and shared many of my discoveries with you. Read again: 2019 I had just left Crete, my book was finished! So happy with what I had just accomplished. All these months of loneliness and introspection, without TV and sometimes without internet for several days, had just given birth to one of my most beautiful projects, and certainly one of the most necessary. Reread: Why a Book? A fabulous retreat on one of the most beautiful Greek islands, and I’ve largely praised its beauty: 2020 A very weird year for everyone, under the threat of Covid-19 and confinement. Previously: Since I couldn't travel as planned, I had plenty of time to make videos and develop my social media: My anniversary day was great, I had a lot of fun and relaxed at home, with pina coladas and sun, especially I ate churros! Re-read my previous articles: The providers of this unique day:
I offer you a new Excerpt from my book My Solo Wedding in Santorini: "Having a purpose is fundamental after a breakup, especially do not give yourself time to feel sorry for yourself, it does not prevent pain or tears, but it helps not to collapse. Some people take refuge in work, I preferred to focus on myself only. My personal life had just crumbled, I had decided to devote fully to myself for the rest of the year. I was going to put my energy to the benefit of my quest for happiness, all those things that I wanted to accomplish and that I kept postponing. Taking time for me, thinking about what I really expected from life, what would make me happy again, the things I was dreaming of, but also what I would like to do in the near future and more distant, either personally or professionally. Above all, listening to my heart and asking what it wanted, taking the time for my feelings, letting my emotions express themselves." L. Find all the articles here Link or click on the titles below: I don’t know what the future holds and what I’ll tell you in a year, but I’m confident, I know I’ll have many wonderful things to speak about. Have a great week! Love & Future, L.
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After such a long confinement, it’s not always easy to go back to our former routine and good habits, such as following a timetable, managing the pressure at work ... So being patient and understanding with yourself is essential, and above all being kind. The words we use affect our mind enormously, so avoid saying I'm useless, I'm an idiot or I'm ugly. Something that we apply naturally with children, so why not with us? Besides, as our brain believes everything we say, we can go wild:
Confidence comes from within and believe it or not, but it will subconsciously inspire you to make an effort. Remember I gave you a whole list of positive thoughts in my article Be Positive. Not to mention all the nice words I used in my wedding vows during My Solo Wedding in Santorini! In my last video (below), I explain the benefits to surround yourself with objects with positive messages:
But the trick I've always used, post-its! I stick them on the walls, the fridge, the mirrors… Like that, I’m sure to see them, no need to think about them or spend a special affirmation time. And each time I want to improve an aspect of my personality or my lifestyle, I create a new one, the latest one: I love working out at home! If you read my article from last week Quarantine Queen, you understand why ... I also like to surround myself with colourful objects or that represent characters or animals that I love, nothing better to make me smile and de-stress. Reread: Unicorns My Favourite Animals "Believe in your dreams and they may come true. Believe in yourself and they will surely come true. " You know how much I love meditation and if you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend it. I’ll dedicate a special article about it soon. But for today, at the end of the article, an easy meditation of 20 minutes that everyone can do, beginners too. It's guided by Jeffrey Allen, thanks to Mindvalley. My other favourite coaches of the moment: Paul McKenna, Michael Beckwith, Jim Kwik, and Marisa Peer (I’ve already mentioned her in my article Quarantine). Read my previous articles: Have a great week everyone! Love & Kindness, L. Last week, I gave a recap of all posts and videos during the confinement, today I'm going to give a very personal point of view of this. I’ve wonderfully managed this quarantine, I even proclaimed myself Queen of Quarantine, beautiful as always even in pyjamas! Ok, well, I'm going to be honest, it was time for the confinement to end because I was going to become an alcoholic, obese and crazy woman! I didn't really follow the advice I’ve given in my article Quarantine. Aperitif every night, it was fun and it reminded me of the holidays, but the tomato juice and the cucumber were not really invited: And yes, obviously we’re a lot to have eaten too much during these 8 weeks. The good side is we’ve learned to cook with what we had in the cupboards, and especially we’ve discovered lots of new recipes. Goodbye home delivery, welcome good homemade meals. I was very lucky, my sister loves cooking, I’ve only had to enjoy, my curves know it! Without mentioning Sunday brunch, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday etc hahaha!! My favourites: brioche bread with scrambled eggs and pan-fried foie gras, baked egg with cream / bacon and hazelnuts, grilled halloumi, whole hazelnut cookies... What else?? So, nothing surprising I’ve gained 8lbs (4kg), being sedentary - understanding watching TV all day - especially when Gene Kelly and Franck Sinatra are in the same movie, Anchors aweigh. Well yes, frankly the first weeks who wanted to sweat in their living room?? Personally, just watching dance and fitness classes on my screen, I was already tired. Of course, when I started to feel squeezed into my pyjamas, I’ve made some effort, because there was no question of removing brunch or wine time! Thanks to social media and all the amazing people who helped us stay in shape or just not gain more weight. The Wii Board helped too, out from a box in the garage, and apparently I'm a star… I’ve sometimes occupied my time in an interesting way, doing a unicorn make-up for example, manicure included. Remember I love Unicorns. A few more weeks, and there was a good chance I stay like this permanently. For once I can acknowledge the French Government for something ... Then, we celebrated it with a Tropical Party! (Power to the Minions?!?) I didn’t go out at all this week, it takes 21 days to change our habits, remember I've explained it in my Article Be Positive. So, I have 3 weeks to know what I'm going to do. I started to make a list, in this order:
This is all I can do within a 62mi radius, unfortunately my family and friends are too far, patience ... In the meantime, I'm working and napping. But now I have an extremely difficult decision to make, which pair of shoes am I going to wear for my very first day out? Ahhhh my precious shoes, I missed you, read again: At the end of the article, the trailer of Smallfoot; no matter who we are, we can all live in harmony if everyone makes an effort ... Love & Fun, L. Many countries restart their activity, France will be deconfined next week, but with strict measures, such as for example not going away more than 62mi. In my case, this means that I still can’t go to Paris, so I’m going to stay at my sister’s longer… I thought a little summary of my articles during the quarantine would be useful, just to make sure you haven’t missed anything. The very first article in the series: Quarantine I’ve also made you travel a lot over the past few weeks:
And I’ve shown you unique constructions: I’ve also shared my life with these Videos (click on titles to watch): The latest: Find your Superpower! Reminder: a new video online every week on Instagram and YouTube. Subscribe: All the videos here: link My routine will remain the same, I’ll go out occasionally to take no risks, and many public places remain closed anyway. For those who are going back to work, I think very much of you, I know this return to a reality whose future is still uncertain, is difficult, you’ll cope in the same way as you have done these past 8 weeks. Stay strong & positive! Don’t hesitate to re-read my positive articles: And to relax and enjoy the weekend, at the end of the article, the trailer of a delicious comedy to watch with the family: The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir A magnificent film that’ll make you laugh and look on the bright side of life! Love & Life, L. I love this city and I’ve already talked about it a lot, in my article Christmas in New York. There’s so much to discover, and this time without all the Christmas lights, but under a spring sun. Last week, I explained 2 incredible constructions, the Thames Barrier in London & the Channel Tunnel. To tell the truth, I’m also very interested in architecture, and New York is pretty incredible for that, then today, I’m going to present you The Rockefeller Center. The construction of the Rockefeller Center is an idea of John D. Rockefeller Jr., the same one who sponsored the reconstruction of the framework of the Reims Cathedral, in reinforced concrete. This huge 7 million square feet complex, includes 1.5 million square feet of shops and dining, 19 commercial buildings, including 14 built during the Mr. Rockefeller era, which represents more than 40,000 people employed during the Great Depression. Some buildings are as impressive inside as outside. Art is at the heart of them, Art Deco obviously, since construction started in 1931 and ended in 1939. John D. Rockefeller Jr. considered art as an act of good citizenship. As an aside, his wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, was also fond of art, she created in 1929 with two of her friends, the very famous MoMa (Museum of Modern Art). Sculptures, paintings, mosaic, each artwork is explained in detail on the Rockefeller Center website: link. For example, ATLAS (1937) by Lee Lawrie and Rene Paul Chambellan. You can enter the buildings and admire all of these beautiful artworks for free, but guided tours are also organised, and if you're lucky like I was, you may come across a member of the Rockefeller family. After so much culture, let's take a walk outside, in The Channel Gardens, a path that separates 2 twin towers, the Maison Française on one side and the British Empire Building on the other. In the surroundings, we find: • The NBC studios, you should see some celebrities, in my case: Sofia Vergara, from the Modern Family series, so beautiful. • But also, Magnolia Bakery for a delicious cupcake. • Or Christies, auction mood today? • And of course, Radio City Hall! But if you remember, we visited it in my article Christmas in New York, before the Show of the Rockettes. Besides, during the Covid-19 confinement, it’s important to exercise, I’ve mentioned it already before: Quarantine Friendship Personally, I’ve decided to follow the free Rockettes lessons on Instagram: Link. You have the choice between the workout program or a dance choreography from the famous Christmas show. I saved the best for last, the Top of the Rock observatory, in the heart of the Rockefeller Center. Located on the 70th floor, with 3 interior and exterior levels to enjoy a 360-degree panorama. The view is breathtaking as soon as you go up ... A video at the end of the article with original footage of the construction of the Rockefeller Center. Have a wonderful week! Love & Construction, L. |
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