Neige, Froid et Cheminee!

 Nothing feels more like Christmas than snow, food and family. Courchevel is treating us real well this year with a perfect amount of snow and a lot of friends and family around.

Another year has passed and we are not getting any younger; therefore, we must learn to enjoy every minute of every day and stop the struggle we are having with our own selves. 

In times of loneliness, willingly or not, we should take a moment and think what differences we would like to see in the year to come and what should we change about us (we are the only ones who can do so; we might as well try).

As I was skiing the past few days, despite concentrating on my ski technique and looks on the slope (very important as you never know who you might meet up there), I also thought of my own 2012 resolutions, which I rather not disclose on my blog because at the end of the day those are based on my flaws and I am not very keen on talking about those, obviously! 

So as I was saying, I am feeling very happy right now. The family is happy, the food is delicious (I might have gotten a few kilos within only 4 days) and of course, the shopping wasn’t absent!

If you find yourself in Courchevel one of those winters, I strongly advise Le Chalet de Pierre, La Soucoupe and Le Cap Horn between your ski session and at night Le Grand Café, La Mangeoire, La Cendree, La Saulire and Via Ferrata.  

Happy Holidays to every one of my dear friends and readers. 

BISOUS DE COURCHEVEL!

Dear Santa,

2011 was a rough, rough year for most of us. Christmas time has finally come and everyone is trying to embrace the festive spirit and plan to have a good time.

Many things have made this year disappointing but the most essential one for me is the chaos occurring in Syria, my country of origin. It kills me seeing that all these patriots of mine are getting killed, their children taken away and their houses falling apart. It is unfair and I would want to see it stop because this conflict is turning into a civil war. Syria is a beautiful country with a large history and its citizens should be alive and healthy in the year to come to see it rise again with the help of its historical sites and loveable people. Thus, at night, after your scheduled trip around the chimneys of the world, please spend some more time in Syria for spreading some common sense into the local political leaders; make this one person provoking all of it fly far away.

The second thing I would want to see change is all of the Greek government. Really, I don’t understand how corrupt can a European country be. Nothing is right. Greece could be the world’s number one destination for all kinds of tourists: rich or poor, young or old, party animals or couples. Unfortunately, this country’s assets are not being put forward by the relevant people. At the point where we are today, I am afraid the wait for a better life is going to be very, very long. The funny thing is that all of the young generation says the same thing: “we should be more aware, spend less, save more, care more, work, reconsider our priorities etc.” but in practice, most of them are still lazy, scared to take responsibilities and comfortably seated in Business class, traveling towards bankruptcy. Santa, this country has adopted me, taught me how to live and socially exist; don’t let the 300 parliament losers drown it along with their self esteem.

Another thing I would want to see not disappear per se, but at least have less impact on some people’s lives: Facebook. It is a problem and a sin in itself. I have an account, you have an account (I can’t find it but I am sure it is there somewhere) but we all hate it; yet, we can’t seem to get away from it. I have had lots of shocks since the creation of facebook but learned to live with it and moreover, mock the blocks, the likes, the unlikes, the requests and all this jargon people mention in conversations (e.g.: Oh-my-God, he blocked me but then he sent a friend request to his ex he had deleted last year who added him back and even liked his picture and now their status is “in a relationship”!). Get over it, shit happens. Even so, let me say this: Dear Mr. Mark Zuckerberg, despite the fact that you are a Jewish, redhead and awkward, you happen to be a genius, a billionaire and an “ex - nothing” who has managed to change a whole planet’s routine. Please marry me.

Oh Santa, if only you knew how irritated I am not only on a large scale perspective but also in my every day interaction with people. The past year, I have noticed more hypocrisy, selfishness and lies around me than never before. I believe that mankind has reached a point where it became God’s major disappointment. Every one lives for themselves and altruism has become an endangered term. I wish we could all give a little bit more, even if it is a simple smile or just an innocent advice. Let me be a little bit more specific (please consider my age and sex):

• Friends lie to each other because of a conflict of interest (e.g.: An ex friend talked trash behind my back so I stopped talking to her; she is throwing a party; my best friend went and never told me).  
• Friends (badly) lie about how good and happy they are in the hope of believing it themselves
• Men lie because they are cowards, insecure and can’t embrace the idea of having a perfectly good relationship with a woman: They have to mess it up somehow.
• Women, especially those married to wealthy men are getting into depression and put themselves in a miserable position for no reason at all leading them to cheat on a good husband.
• Husbands, wives, fiancées, fiancés, girlfriends, boyfriends: they all cheat more and seek for sexual satisfaction elsewhere than in the bed of their (supposedly) loved ones (The number of marriages that took place in the EU in 2009 was around 2.3 million, while around 1.0 million divorces recorded in 2010, according to Eurostat).
• Women going out are more slutty (yet, attractive) than ever trying to impress and act like they own it when in real life it is not the persona they should be attributed with.
• All of us acting enthusiastic when we bump into a random acquaintance while doing our Christmas shopping and emphasizing on how necessary it is to go for coffee and share each other’s news when in reality, we had forgotten this person still existed.
• Childhood friends who after becoming successful business partners stabbing each others’ backs for money.

These are few of the things that bother me in a small - scale perspective and that I would love to see change in the next year to come or at least make them less obvious.

Santa, I know it’s been a long letter and loads of complex requests that you will have to spend a lot of time on but I have a final one: I would like to find a generous man and establish a healthy relationship that will have more joy than sadness, more affection than jealousy and more laughs than fights. I am not looking for “Lord Perfect” but rather, I someone who respects me and who has an idea about where I come from and where I am going. It may not be my future husband, but at least, I would know that there are some men out there that have self esteem and that have heard of the word “honesty”.

If you have time, please find such a man for all of my single girlfriends because they all deserve someone good that can make them wake up in the morning with a big smile on their face.

On what concerns my single male friends, I see them very happy with celibacy and would not include them in my Santa Claus letter.

Thank you Santa for the time you took in reading and processing the elements of my letter. I also have a list with material goods that you can procure from the Galeries Lafayette in Paris, Bloomingdales in New York and Harrods’ in London (at your own convenience).

Give my regards to the elves, the reindeers and of course Mrs. Claus.

Best Regards,

Tamara.   

    

SUPERTRASH, A RISING LABEL

Supertrash is my new favourite brand that I recommend to every young woman who wants to dress in a sexy and fashionable way without spending too much.  

The label was founded by Los Angeles socialite, Ava Riley which passed it on in 2009 to Dutch fashion designer Olcay Gulsen. Ever since, Supertrash has grown in popularity in Europe and Asia. For your information, the spicy European touch put to it hasn’t left the celebrities unaware of the brand.

Having Kurdish origins, Olcay Gulsen has been able to combine originality with simplicity. She is young, beautiful and very smart as she succeeded into transforming Supertrash into an international “super brand”.

 I am talking about it now because I recently bought a pair of black leather heels and I came to realized they can be worn with anything ranging from a skirt or shorts to pants or even leggings.

Black passe - partout heels

 Some shoes and clothes designs are inspired by high street fashion designers such as Alexander Wang or Isabel Marant. Still, there is a humongous difference in the product’s price.

 Giuseppe Zanotti vs. Supertrash

Isabel Marant vs. Supertrash

    

It even has a magazine issued each few months to welcome the new season thus the new collection.

Supertrash is sold in shops all over the world. In Greece, you may find them at all Stenia shops and at my personal favourite, Ermou 112a.

visit the website for more:

http://www.supertrash.us/

A "Cosy", Eccentric Apartment

While I was in Beirut, I attended the shooting of “Doctors”, a Lebanese program where three permanent doctors on the show discuss general concerns about health, fitness and well-being.

The shooting took place in an appartment in Dbayeh, behind the MTV building and it was chosen for its close location but also, because it had an original, modern look.

I savoured how well black, red and white harmonized in one same place.

The appartment belongs to two young siblings. One of them, 25, has decorated it all by herself using nothing but her personality combined with a touch of originality. 

The cosiest part of it all was the little "TV" room next to the main living room where you can chill and play some video games in a chilled, relaxed setting; without forgetting, the little bowl of chocolate under the table in case of a sudden craving. 

Then, the kitchen. As it is a "youngsters" home, the kitchen is not spacious for big gourmet platters. Rather, it is an American Kitchen big enough to bake a Betty Crocker cake or to grill a toast; maybe some pasta too! One detail was striking (for me) more than everything else: the drainer was located in a cupboard on top of the kitchen sink so the water can drop directly into the sink. This way, space is saved on the table and water remains where it belongs!

Even so, my favourite in the house is the dining room. It was perhaps the first thing I saw when I got into the apartment. It reminded me of a setting I could have seen in Disney's Alice in Wonderland cartoon: Black and white wallpaper, alternate black and white "cushioned" chairs, a metallic chandelier, a red bar with transparent chairs and the detail that kills: the red and white mushroom behind the bar. 

I believe it is one of the most stylish houses I have seen from a close perspective. One of the cast said: "How can I concentrate with so much red"; I guess it's a matter of taste. Chaos was always my thing and I believe this house is a blend of chaos and sweet harmony. 

My new awesome glasses

Yes. I dared to buy them. 

Yesterday, I went to my optician to have my eyeglasses straightened and was looking around at aviator glasses and decided to buy a pair. I looked through Rayban, Galliano, Trussardi, Tod’s, Gucci and many other high-street brands. They all seemed so common; I decided to not buy anything and keep my money for a future Christmas shopping spree. 

BUT: As I was leaving, I saw them: shiny, different and yet quite cheap Marc by Marc Jacobs: something between Aviator and hippie style. It was infatuation at first sight. 

 I wore them and they looked superb! Love at second sight. It was definetely a good buy!

Usually, it is cool to be eccentric. I tend to stick to basic stuff in terms of clothing and buy very extreme jewelery, glasses, wallets, scarves etc.. Nothing makes me more comfortable than a cotton black dress accompanied by a huge necklace that can’t remain hidden, tiny swaroswski earings and a huge ring. 


Flashy accessories are easy to combine and makes simple clothing look original. The same goes for my new Marc by Marc Jacobs glasses: I may be wearing a simple grey jogging suit but still, there was some style!

Beirut

Beirut's Marina by night

Beirut. I am back in the town that has taught me to live and have fun, where everyone is friendly and smiley. It is the town where I studied and spent hours on the American University of Beirut’s main gate to get things done for my next classes (which were usually starting within the next 30 minutes). At night, it is where I discovered alcohol: mainly red wine, white wine and the effect of both mixed together.

It hasn’t changed a bit except for the few more skyscrapers built within the last couple of years. Even clubs have remained unchanged (very few additions were made to the list).

So here I am in my 19^th floor bedroom looking outside the huge glassed window and staring at it all. It’s so beautiful. At night it looks like a super developped Western country that has been thrown into the Middle East by mistake. I really love the topography of it all and frankly, if there weren’t more cars and more people than what the country can handle, I would easily live there.

The appartment rocks: My mother has done a wonderful work in making it minimal, modern and at the same time very cozy with a technologically developped living room (extremely important for every young generation’s wellbeing, thanks to my father). I spent hours during the day (as all my friends work) watching series, sipping coffee and listening to the pouring rain.

At night we used to go to several bars / pubs. My favorite was “Angry Monkey”. You HAVE to go to Angry Monkey in Gemmayzeh, a wooden, cozy yet again spacious pub. I loved the food (we had sushi with Rice Crispies on top!), the drinks, the bar and the music. JLP, an emerging Lebanese Rock band, was peforming live; as a rock fan, I was very into the whole atmosphere. The place was packed with people ranging from 20 to 40 years old; so there was a variety of people to observe.

The wooden crafted bar

The Rice Crispies Sushis and the Mini Burgers: Angry Monkey's specialties

In general, when something goes awfully wrong and you want to get out and have a lot of fun, forgetting everything in the world and change settings, the best place to be is Beirut along with one or several best friends.

PLUS: I love the fact I get to shop Tax Free (given the fact I live in Greece). As soon as I get to the airport I give my receipts and get back the taxes on my new stuff! Awesome feeling…   

Soldiers rehearsing for November 22nd: INDEPENDENCE DAY!

My new Gadget Pet

Ipod buddy availabe at Virgin Beirut for $99.00

Given the fact I have been in Beirut for the past two days in a plain, dull room, I decided to buy me a little gadget to spice things up. What you see in the picture is my new Ipod / Iphone charger / player! It is so cute I really thought I should share it. It cost $ 99.00 and plays music quite loud despite the small speakers it has (its eyes) whereas his mouth lights up every time you use the remote (yes, it also has a remote). The ears are the best part: they actually are buttons you gently press to adjust the volume.

   

HIGH FASHION MEETS LOW PRICES

 After few months of waiting, IT is finally here.

The “Versace for H&M” collection has been revealed yesterday at NewYork’s Pier 57 and will be available in stores and online starting November 19^th. Every once in a while, H&M makes high – low collaborations with top designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Matthew Williamson, Sonia Rykiel and Albert Elbaz. This year, it was Donatella Versace who found an interest in the concept of selling her designs at affordable prices, reaching a greater audience.

Donatella Versace with daughter Allegra

The night opened with the “Versace for H&M” fashion show. Front row celebrities attended such as Blake Lively, Jessica Alba, Uma Thurman, Linda Evangelista, Jennifer Hudson, Nicki Minaj, Prince but also young designers Christopher Kane, Alexander Wang, Joseph Altuzzara, Anna Sui and others.

                        Nicki Minaj, in Versace for H&M              Jessica Alba, in Versace for H&M

 

                  Uma Thurman, in custom Versace by H&M/Blake Lively and Helena Christensen (front Row)

The show started with a “beat” song repeating throughout the show the very same phrase: “my house, my rules, my pleasure”. An assortment of black and gold dresses, perhaps the prettiest ones out of the whole collection (that I will have in mind on my next shopping spree) made their entrance in the low-light room; they are simple, yet glittery and brings back memories from the eighties and nineties fashion show. Afterwards, there was a lot of jungle - inspired clothing, prints on black etc. It is not my style but I definetely enjoyed watching this mix of rainbow colours. The show ended with gold glitter and metallic dresses looking beautiful on the catwalk but I am not sure I would ever dare to wear them. In my opinion, the only bad thing about the show was the menswear. 

 

                              Leather Dress $299                                  Leather Jacket $ 299, Skirt $ 69.95

 

               Skirt $129, Top $39.95, Jacket $299                                Pants $129, Tops $69.95       

                         

 

                           Leggings $29.95, Mini Dress $ 149                                Dress $129  

                                   Dress $149                                                       Fur Gilet $69.95                                                     

                                     Dress $299                                                                                    Dress $149                            

At the end of the runway show, Mrs. Donatella went out to greet the crowd and guided her friends and guests to the after party: a room where a disco ball was hanging from the ceiling and palm tree wallpaper (again, jungle – inspired) was covering the whole place. To top the whole extravagance, crazy yet awesome rapper Nicki Minaj and eccentric legend Prince performed live.

Finally, after the runway, the party, the show and all that jazz, it was time for some hardcore shopping in a designated area full of “Versace for H&M” clothes. Ugh, I truly wish I was there.  

A POEM TO END THE DAY..

http://www.firstgatedreamer.com/images/20100909021105_dsc_6344-one-way-love.jpg

Whenever you need me,

I am always there for you,

In my eyes you can see

Passion and love going through

What do you give me in exchange?

Everything that can make me blue

Many lies combined with rage,

That really makes me see flu.

Shall I continue satisfying you

Or shall I leave and ignore you too?
There’s nowhere else I would be okay,

In your arms I feel I’m safe.

There is where I want to lay,

Every day and every night,

After every single fight,

There is where I want to sway.

You may say I’m an ignorant,

You may say I better go pray,

This love was an incident,

But it’s too late to walk away.

MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL WHO IS THE HAPPIEST OF THEM ALL?

"I Like the way it hurts", she whispered to him softly.

When cold invades the place, everyone breaks up and hooks up again for spending the winter cozy by the fireplace with their partner. But are they really in love?

I’ve come to realize that men often remain in a relationship out of pity or boredom. Women on the other hand remain in it out of habit, to boost up their confidence or have someone to nag at night. And then, they both are caught up in the whole social pressure that ends up being nothing but a superficial love life.

They may not talk anymore and may have drifted apart and forgotten the meaning of the “I love you” phrase.  In the world we live, each one of us is so confused with our ego, we forgets there is someone close by that is waiting with his / her arms open to save him / her. And that someone is not always the person you are socially and emotionally associated too. If you are lucky, it may be and in that case you don’t have to look for him / her.

Couples get used to having sex; Love and passion and all those popping hearts around you two will eventually go away. And what remains? Respect, most importantly. When looking for your soul mate, you are looking for the one who will hold your hair when throwing up, squeeze your hand when hurting, kiss you softly letting you know tomorrow will be a better day, the one who will bear your baby. A life partner should know where you come from, how you have been raised; He should never dare verbally or physically violate you. If he does and yet you see the good in him, either make him a better man or change countries.

23.6% of Greek women declare that she knows  a woman from their related and/or friendly environment that it has suffered or is suffering from incidents of domestic violence from the spouse/intimate partners

In theory, we all know that. We all believe that respect within a couple is important, essential and vital (three words that mean the same, but repetition won’t hurt) but what happens when our theory and practice start growing apart? That is, when you know you are seeking respect, but remain with someone who doesn’t give you any.  

I don’t know. Really, I don’t know. A friend of mine went to Guadeloupe for six months to get over his break up with his fiancé after she cheated on him. Another one is seeing a psychotherapist for over two years now. Others lock themselves up until they feel they can love again. There are other extreme cases where people (mostly women) attempt to end their life. It depends on the strength we have and most importantly, on how much we know about emotional competence.

Beautiful women tend to fall madly in love with weird, ugly, scary and socially awkward men. This, I don’t get it. I know the feeling, I have done it too long time ago, but I still don’t get it. A woman may have everything to feel comfortable in her skin and mind (i.e.: financial support, a career, a home, family, friends, etc.) and yet, she feels the need to be loved by this ONE man that has proven he is not the actual ONE; But she believes he is helping her with her confidence boost.

Masses tend to label us according to the way we see ourselves; The stronger we feel the more they respect us

It’s a cruel world out there and human relationships are becoming harder. You never know who to trust, who is your friend and who is taking advantage of you. So when it comes to romance, it is even harder. And the only people you can turn to are your friends, the ones you have known since school and that have confirmed they are truly awesome. Even so, when it comes to choose between the boyfriend and the friends, we often go with our emotional instincts and pick the boyfriend.

We women must start to play it a bit smarter and put some boundaries on what is asked by our dear man or future lover. It’s all about education. Start cutting yourself some slack, feel the power invested in you and act out. If he leaves, he never was there; if he stays, he will be the father of your child.

Imagine you are in the situation where all the bad things of a relationship happened to you: He acted like a jerk and you are now coping with the betrayal, the violence or anything else he might have done. First and foremost, I will start by the cheesy: “You live and you learn”. Next time it won’t happen, you would have pulled the trigger before he opens his mouth.

YOUR Happiness is what makes you wake up in the morning with a smile.

In order to learn, you must first leave. Get rid of the old ruins and start building a palace of your own. You probably won’t miss him; you will miss the person you thought he was.

La crainte du danger est mille fois plus terrifiante que le danger present (Daniel Defoe in Robinson Crusoe)
The fear of danger is a thousand times more terrifying then the danger itself.

You have to understand that by losing this one man, one love or one whatever-it-was-you-had, you are gaining a new social life, more time with your friends, more time with your own self and most importantly the chance to meet a person worth your time with a whole new dimension to it.

ONE is a lonely number; but at least, you are on top.

Cheer up. Really, stay positive and think further about every situation you are in. If I were to give one word of advice: Drink to all those nights that turned to mornings and all those friends that turned to family; it will probably keep the darkness away for a bit.

Friends are like angels: you don't have to see them to know they will prevent you from falling.