Dear 2016,

Wow, have you been a random year!

I don't really even know how to sum it up. So much has happened this year.. and it has been a very challenging year in so many different aspects. In general retrospect it seems like a pretty annoying year and for some reasons even depressing, however the details and some events have probably made it one of the best years in my life. This really shows how in life everything balances out - there is always something good after the bad.

The difficult things taught me to be patient and to rely on myself. It might sound sad, but I think it is a good lesson - only relying on yourself leaves less room for failure, getting hurt and not being able to follow your dreams because of other people. Yes, for example, to plan to travel with someone is great, but you shouldn't count on the other person to 100% have to be there or you can't go. If you want to go, make your dream come true and go. And if others choose to come, that's even better.

I had to change my views on this, as I had to move out of my apartment in the spring, I had to commute 4 hours every day to work, meaning I didn't really get any rest during the summer. This was in addition to some other issues with my family so to say the summer was pretty stressful is an understatement.

But! As they say, let's focus on the good. So, 2016, here's what's happened:

• Working out and healthy eating. It might not be as apparent as I would like it to be, but to those who know, I am always on a diet, lol. But this year I feel I really understood more about eating, eating mindfully, choosing good foods on a general basis. I also enjoyed working out as much as I could, more in the spring/winter and less in the summer, and taking up running, which I plan to do again when it gets warmer. In addition, I also participated in Maijooks, however, for walking not running. But will run in 2017! I lost weight and I am stronger than I was a year ago. I think the biggest breakthrough was realizing that I took me years to get to where I am today and will take time to get to the "perfect" body (for lack of better description). Healthy life is a life not a quick fix - and I feel happy knowing that it is a journey.

• Veganism. Again this year, but I have learnt so much about vegan food and lifestyle! We created the vegan menu for Kroon and I really started to enjoy cooking and creating recipes, which I wasn't as good as before. I has been a great and inspiring journey, which I hope never ends!

• Finally dyed my hair! Okay, this is a small one, but I finally coloured the ends blonde, a really nice ombre hair and got myself princess hair. Very important step this year, for sure.

• Travelling! I did so much travelling this year- from London to Riga, Stockholm and at the end of the year, the best time in my life - to Los Angeles. Words can not describe Los Angeles. It really does deserve it's own post, a blog, something big!

Yes... I could just stay and add about a million more LA pictures, but they really do deserve separate posts!

• Weekend festival. This year I also decided to go to Weekend Festival in Pärnu and I am so happy I did! The vibe there and the live concerts, despite the rain on the second day, it was a really awesome experience!

Looking back at all the things that have happened, I really feel that this year has been a learning year. I didn't want to do new years promises for 2016, because I felt I didn't need the pressure of having to accomplish or do something - I wanted to do things because I wanted to them. I feel that thanks to 2016, I am ready for 2017 to be a year of accomplishments, and to really do more. 

Thank you, 2016,

I am ready for 2017!

M

2015 - What did you bring?

As one year ends it is almost mandatory to make this post. And if not to post, then for the very least think about what the year has been about!

For me, this year has been one of the most stressful years of my life for various reasons from work and university to personal life. However, there have been amazing moments as well, and as I want to remember the good, this is a nice way to be thankful and reflect back on all the positive moments from 2015.

1) Events!

2015 started with a big party at Crown - as we have done for years by now. Last year, we wanted to do something bigger, so we decorated all the rooms and set all the tables etc. We were also inspired by photo booths - unfortunately we didn't get one for the event, but we made frames to use for pictures as you can have in photo booths. This turned out to be the hit of the party, and it will be forever known as the frame-party.

In between, life carried on pretty basically... Or as it is for anyone in their last year in uni - all of the time you had was consumed by projects, deadlines and hand ins! So there are no very interesting pictures from that time.. Unless you would have wanted to see a bit crazy looking tired no-sleep-for-weeks me, who looks a bit scary to be honest! Or a very messy room. Or the library.

In the summer it was time for my graduation! 4 years of hard work has paid off and I graduated. During my final presentation I felt really good as I believed in my project and its vitality and success. And as it turned out, it was justified as I got a first! Thanks to that I also graduated with a first, so I now have an honours degree in Fashion and Textile Buying Management!

In May, we celebrated S's birthday in London as I planned this as a surprise for him! And also planned a surprise birthday for him in Estonia as well.

2) Work and life update

First half of 2015 was spent travelling back and forth Estonia and UK, and thankfully S travelled with me several times. We also celebrated his birthday in UK, which as very nice!

I had planned to spend my summer in London, but things didn't work out that way. Instead, I had to travel between London and Huddersfield with all my things before I decided to go back to Estonia. In here, I ended up going to Tallinn so often for different reasons, before I landed a job in Baltika. I started applying to several companies, but was offered a job as Assistant Merchandiser for Monton Ladies brand. I didn't really plan on working as a merchandiser, as I wanted to be more in buying or marketing, but as I have been there for 4 months now, I have to say, I have enjoyed this and definitely learnt a lot!

Moving to Tallinn was also a bit hasty as we had to find a flat within a week! We ended up taking one which was really low priced and literally 3 min walk to Baltika. But unfortunately there were loads of hidden problems with the flat so we ended up moving out after 2 months. And had to find another in about a week again! But luckyly we now have a good flat, apart from the fact that it is far from Baltika and I am really not that into the cold... But well, not a real life problem so we will deal with that, haha!

3) Changes

Through the summer I got more and more interested about veganism. As I had been a vegetarian for a year, I decided to try to be a vegan. This has been a big change for me and I haven't said that this will be for forever, but for as long as I feel good and can live my life the way I feel happy. Which is what I feel now. Writing this, maybe this topic needs a post of its own? But anyway, here is a collage of some delicious vegan food photos from this year. And also, I have a plan to start posting one vegan recipe each week! So we will see how that goes. :)

Besides veganism, all the issues this year have thought me so much about myself, what I value and the life I want to live. I had so many plans - I like to have a sort of guideline of what I'm doing or what I want to accomplish. Even if it doesn't end up happening, I want to have a destination or something to work towards. However, most plans in 2015 kept changing, mostly due to other people, so I had no control over the situations. At first it was very scary and I was really stressed, but eventually I learnt that it is up to me to decide what I want to feel. And that it's like a plot twist - something doesn't go as planned? Okay, whats the next step? What happes now? I learnt to be more open to new things and going with the flow with less stress.

I have also learnt not to try to prove myself to everyone. Try to prove I am as cool, as pretty, as smart or whatever. I realised that there is no point in proving myself to people who don't want to see me as I am. There are people who know who I am and people who choose not to and that is fine too. What other's think of me is none of my business and it's not up to me to stress over how to please other people or how to be more liked.

Here's to the end of 2015 and really looking forward to this year being even better!

Rewind: 2014

Even though 2015 has been here for a week (already?!), I am going to have a quick recap of 2014 - just to have an overview of that amazing year that passed too quickly! The year was filled with a lot of work both in my placement in Monton in the Visual Merchandising department, from where I learnt so-so much and got to work with very talented people to editing and adding so much to the Cafe in terms of marketing ideas and plans to starting my last year in university to complete my degree in Fashion Buying. So let's have a look!

In 2014 I:

Dressed up for a masquerade:

Went to Italy for the first time:

Challenged myself the most in my life and entered a 7km race and completed running the whole route! One of the proudest moments in my life not just in 2014:

Celebrated my 22nd in London with pizza in Notting Hill and a day in Portobello:

And then celebrated by going back to the 80s:

Moved into a lovely new flat in Huddersfield:

Conquered Castle Hill:

My beautiful parents visited England with my sister:

2014 was very very busy but I can only say that I learnt a lot and achieved a lot. This is when I work best - when I have a lot to do! 2015 has quite a lot to live up to but I have a good feeling aboyt it.