I've sorted out the mail!

I've sorted out the mail!

Sredio sam poštu!

Keep calm and be gorgeous!

See this on Pinterest!

Ladybug

A ladyug - photo taken by my sister

Today started off as a pretty bad day. Loads of worry on my mind, sad thoughts remembering my grandpa's birthday, then brand new sad news and a hectic day at work on gazillion degrees Celsius in the office. It would have been an awful day altogether if it hasn't been for a tiny red ray of light - a ladybug that landed on my back and made me smile. As the day progressed, things got better and better and now I'm going to bed feeling good and positive. It seems like this little joyous occasion was a promise of better times ahead.
Današnji dan je počeo prilično loše. Puno birga, tužnih misli i sećanja na dedin rođendan, nove tužne vesti, ludnica na poslu i milion stepeni u kancelariji. Mogao je da bude u potpinosti loš dan da nije bilo jednog malog crvenog zračka svetlosti - bubamare koja mi je sletela na leđa i oraspoložila me. Kako je dan odmicao, stvari su se lagano popravljale i sada idem na spavanje pozitivna i u dobrom raspoloženju. Čini mi se kao da je taj mali veseli događaj bio obećanje da dolazi bolje vreme.

I was curious if this could mean anything, so I googled a ladybug tonight and learned this:
Bila sam radoznala da li postoji neko značenje u svemu tome, pa sam večeras guglala bubamaru i evo šta sam pronašla:

The Ladybug is widely considered a symbol of luck and is seen as a good omen when it comes calling... Ladybug teaches life is short and it teaches to let go of ones' worries and fears, to trust in spirit and enjoy life... (see these two texts here and here)

Bubamara se smatra simbolom sreće i na nju, kada dođe, se gleda kao a dobar znak... Bubamara nas uči da je život kratak i da treba da se oslobodimo briga i strahova, da verujemo i uživamo u životu... (evo dva teksta na tu temu)

I like a bit of mystery in life. It spices it up. I also like to think that there was something in this tiny event - a message that everything is going to be all right a lesson that worry doesn't lead you anywhere.
Volim pomalo misterije u životu. Ona ga začinjava . volela bih da mislim da ima nešto u ovom malom događaju, možda poruka da će sve biti u redu i lekcija da zabrinutosz ne vodu nikuda.

A ladybug landed on my back this morning, and, if it was just that, it made me smile!
Bubamara mi je jutros sletela na leđa i, ako ništa drugo, barem mi je izmamila osmeh!

Winter postcard form Novi Sad

It is cold and white and it feels like Christmas time. But it's not. It's February. I must say, I'm more in holiday mood now that I was in January. Then there was no snow and I need snow to feel the season.
Well, after complaining how strange and mild this winter has been, there came snow and ice and the winter finally showed us its teeth. One might say everything looks romantic when snow falls and the rooftops are white, but for some the reality is cruel, a total opposite of romantic. Yin and yang of the wintertime...
I've played a bit with my phone camera last few days, and took some shots of my dear Novi Sad covered in white robes. Sadly I missed the moment I've witnessed yesterday when an avalanche of show fell form the Cathedral, but the noise of it still rings in my ears - at first a distant thunder, than stronger and loud as it hit the ground. It made eyes wide and people stop and stare.
Sve je belo i hladno kao pred Novu godinu. Ali nije Nova godina. Februar je. Mada, ja sam sada više u tom novogodišnjem raspoloženju nego što sam bila u januaru. Tada nije bilo snega, a bez snega mi je teško da uđem u taj novogodišnji "filing".
Neko vreme smo se žalili kako je ova zima čudna i blaga, a onda je došao sneg i led i zima nam je konačno pokazala svoje zube. Moglo bi se reći da sve deluje romantično kada pada sneg i zabele se krovovi, ali za nekog je realnost zime surova, potpuna suprotnost od svake romantike. Jin i jang zime...
Prošlih dana sam se malo igrala kamerom na svom telefonu i zabeležila moj dragi Novi Sad u belom ruhu. Nažalost, juče sam propustila momenat kada je lavina snega pala sa Katedrale, ali i dalje čujem taj zvuk u glavi - prvo udaljeno tutanjanje, sve glasnije, a onda jak udarac snega o zemlju. Oči su se širile a ljudi zastali i zurili.  

Loredana

Loredana... Have you encountered this name before? - I haven't, at least not until I've started blogging and crafting and meeting other crafts people here on this virtual plane.
Loredana... Da li ste ranije čuli za to ime? - Ja nisam, u stvari, ne dok nisam počela da budem aktivnija na blogu i tako upoznala druge kreativce na ovoj našoj virtuelnoj ravni.

Loredana... It sounded mystical, strange and new, yet melodic and enchanting. I thought it to be a made-up nickname, not more. It mesmerized me so that I had to learn more, and here is what I've found out:
Loredana... Zvučalo je mistično, neobično i novo, a takođe melodično i čarobno. Prvo sam mislila da se radi o izmišljenom nadimku, ništa više od toga. Ali opčinjavalo me je toliko da sam morala da istražim o čemu se radi i evo šta sam saznala:
(http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com)

Loredana is a female name of Latin origin, used in Italian and Romanian languages. It means "laurel grove". The name itself is of uncertain origin - the name Loredana seems first invented by the Italian novelist Luciano Zuccoli for his novel 'L'amore de Loredana'. Zuccoli might have based it on the Venetian surname Loredan ("laurel grove"), which was derived from the place name Loreo. It may also be a form of the name Lauretana, title of the Madonna di Loreto, which had its origin in the Latin Lauretum, meaning "small woods of laurel."
Loredana je žensko ime latinskog porekla, a koriste ga Italijani i Rumuni. Njegovo značenje je "lovorov gaj". Poreklo imena nije izvesno - čini se da je ime Loredana prvi put izmislio italijanski romanopisac Luciano Zuccoli za svoj roman "L'amore de Loredana" ("Loredanina ljubav"). Moguće je da ga je Zuccoli zasnovao na venecijanskom prezimenu Loredan (lovorov gaj), koje je izvedeno iz naziva mesta Loreo. Takođe nije isključeno da je ime izvedeno iz imena Lauretana, što je ime za Bogorodicu (Gospu) od Loreta, a koje vodi poreklo od latinske reči Lauretum koja znači "mala lovorova šuma".

Laurel is a symbol for glory, victory, nobility, immortality, intellectual superiority, the gift of prophecy, "big picture" understandings.
Lovor je simbol slave, plemenitosti, besmrtnosti, intelektualne nadmoći, dara proricanja, razumevanja "velike slike".
(http://www.symbolic-meanings.com/2009/11/23/symbolic-laurel-meaning-and-ties-to-name-meaning-of-laura/)

***

Curiosity can be a good thing and lead us to knowledge. Thanks to out blogger-fairy Loredana, I've learned a new beautiful name that's now ranked very high on my list of most beautiful female names.
Radoznalost ponekad može biti zaista dobra i dovesti nas do novih saznanja. Zahvaljujući našoj blogovskoj vili Loredani, saznala sam za jedno prelepo ime koje sada zauzima svoje mesto među najlepšim meni poznatim ženskim imenima.

***

A package from far away is the culprit that I've finally written this post, although I've had it in my head for a while. For me Loredana is a good kind-hearted fairy and I thank her for her gift!
Jedan paket iz daleka je krivac što sam konačno napisala ovaj post, iako sam već neko vreme htela da ha napišem. Za mene je Loredana vila dobrog srca kojoj zahvaljujem na njenom poklonu!

Sweet Summer Swap Finale

I think that everyone has already wrote this post - a post about gifts they have exchanged with their pairs on Sweet Summer Swap. Well, this is one written by me.
Mislim da su do sada već svi napisali jedan ovakav post - post o poklonima koje su razmenili sa svojim parovima u okviru Sweet Summer Swap-a. E, pa, ovo je moj post na tu temu!
As I have already written, this is the first swap I've participated in, and it has been so much fun! I'll definitely do this more often in the future.
Kao što sam ranije već pisala, ovo je bio prvi swap u kome sam ikada učestvovala, i bio je fenomenalan i jako zabavan! Ubuduće ću definitivno češće učestvovati.
This is why I loved participating in this swap (and, form now on, in swaps in general):
- you get to create work on a specific subject - it is a challenge,
- you also have time constraints - another challenge,
- you know that you're sending your works to another crafts person who will probably see all your mistakes although they'll be nice and say only good things about your work ('cause crafts people are great people) - more challenge,
- your work will be displayed together with the works of others and you want your work to be on their level, or at least close to it - how's that for a challenge,
but best of all:
- you get to know your fellow craftsmen (or, rather, crafts-ladies), great people all of them, as I've already said,
- you get to gain some friends too,
- you have the opportunity to give a gift to someone and make them happy (hopefully),
- and you end up feeling great and happy yourself for this amazing experience!
Evo samo nekih od razloga zbog kojih mi je bilo super ovo učešće u swap-u (a to važi i za sve buduće swap-ove):
- potrebno je napraviti radove na zadatu temu - a to može biti izazov,
- imate postavljeno vremensko ograničenje - što je takođe izazov,
- svesni ste toga da svoj rad šaljete nekom ko je takođe kreativac i čije izvežbano oko će verovatno primetiti sve vaše greške, ako će oni naravno biti fini i ljubazni i reći samo najbolje o njemu (jer kreativci su generalno divni ljudi!) - eto još izazova,
- znate da će vaš rad biti prikazan zajedno sa radovima drugih učesnika, i želećete da on bude na istom (ili baremn približnom) nivou - e, zar to tek nije izazov,
ali najbolje od svega jeste:
- imate priliku da bolje upoznate druge kreativce (ili, možda je bolje reći, kreativke), koji su svi divni ljudi (kao što sam već rekla),
- imate priliku da steknete nove prijatelje,
- takođe imate i priliku da nekom poklonite nešto i da ga obradujete,
- i an kraju i sami možete da se osećate dobro i da budete srećni zbog jednog novog lepog iskustva!
You can see all the works from all participants on Medena's blog. She has been and amazing organizer and coordinator!
Radove svih učesnika možete videti kod Medene na blogu, koja je bila sjajan organizator i koordinator!

***

My partner in the swap was Rea from **Sve moje... Nešto!** blog. I love the gifts she sent me, so creative and cool and useful. The real reason why I haven't written this post earlier is because my gift to Rea was traveling a long time. But now that it has reached its destination, I'm happy to share the pictures of our swap:
Moj partner u ovom swap-u je bila Rea sa bloga **Sve moje... Nеšto!**. Radovi koje je poslala mi se jako dopadaju zato što su kreativni, cool i korisni. Razlog zbog kojeg nisam do sada napisala ovaj post jeste taj što je moj poklon za Rea-u dugo putovao. Ali sada kada je stigao na svoju destinaciju, jako sam srećna da podelim sa svima slike našeg swap-a:

***

I'll write more about my works for this swap in next posts.
Više o svojim radovima koje sam pripremila za ovaj swap pisaću u narednim postovima.

Scent of the limewood

Oh, this is my favourite time of the year! It is so beautiful to be in my dear Novi Sad when the limewood is in bloom. The air is thick with its enchanting smell which fills your head with dreams and romantic thoughts of love. Somehow I feel like I'm in another world and everything seems beautiful, good and harmonious. It means that the summer is near and endless days at Danube shores. Some people say that the Danube is our sea. And although it is not as great as the real deal, I love it just the same!

***

I wrote in my last post that the photo shooting for the love box took place at a special location. Here are some pictures taken there. It was so good to get few days of vacation and relax and enjoy my favourite place at my favourite time of the year. I wish that this season would never pass!

Pretty little quartz piece

I've heard that when buying gemstones you need to get the one which attracts you. I've been looking to buy a clear quartz piece for a while now. I've seen so many of them, all very pretty, but I've never bought one. I was searching for the one that will attract my attention, but could not find it - until now.
The funny thing is, I didn't find it myself. As a matter of fact, it found me!
My friend Kristina recently returned from a trip to London and she brought a handful of gemstones for each of our friends. She spread them on the table and told us to pick whichever stone we liked. There were two pieces of rose quartz (very pretty ones), then some leopardskin jasper (which look truly amazing), a stone full of miniature shells (which, I've just learned, is agatized turritella fossil) and a piece of natural clear quartz. When I saw it, I knew it was the one for me. Perhaps I was a bit childish insisting to choose first... but I'm sure no one will hold a grudge.

I did a special photo shooting session just for it. Pretty little thingy, isn't it?

Love cards - the story continues...

Isn't it great when your work gets acknowledged and appreciated? Well, I want to say "thank you" to my dear friend and beautiful bride for this cutest, goofiest photo!
How adorable is this? :))) Kisses, my dear!

My treasure

Another post, another giveaway!
Thanks to Marina from CraftzeeFactory blog and her generosity, who gave us this great task of posting about craft books we own, I am finally proudly presenting my not so big library of "creative" books. Most of them are origami-related, which is my first and biggest love as I always like to say, but lately I've acquired several other craft books that I enjoy very much. Three of them that are in the picture (some others are not because they are being read elsewhere ;) ) are: Simple glass painting by Cheryl Owen, Stencil source book by Lucinda Ganderton and The polymer clay techniques book by Sue Heaser.
I am a huge book lover and each book in my library is special to me in its special way and has its own story. It is great to live in this modern age and be able to find so many information on the Internet, but nothing can replace her majesty THE BOOK and the joys it brings to one who is reading it!
This is my treasure:

Spring, sun, joy!

For this post I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. A beautiful spring in my dear Fruska Gora - can you smell it in the air?

Happy New Year!

New year is here, snow out of my window, let's all be happy and healthy this year, and do our best to make this world a better place!

Happy New Year everyone!!!

(and thanks to www.backgroundcity.com for the beautiful background I used for my greeting)

Makings of a great gift

One great gift made me think about what it is that makes a gift great. I'd say that there are several key ingredients to making a gift great: it has to be appropriate, has to have an element of surprise, it must serve its purpose to make the receiver feel appreciated, and finally, what's very important, it has to be original. Originality for me is the key. So, although I don't consider International women's day an occasion I generally like to receive gifts on, because I feel that the true meaning of this holiday is lost, I simply have to share this because I think that this one gift is an embodiment all the of the above mentioned elements. Further more, since it is a business-related gift, it also works as a clever marketing / PR tool.
Let me represent THE CAKE:

Last year when I've received it for the first time, it was a huge surprise and I was sorry all year long that I hadn't taken its picture before it disappeared (and believe me, it was very prone to disappearing!). This year I didn't make the same mistake.
Thumb up for VIP Fund and whoever came up with this idea!

First polymer clay workshop

I have discovered polymer clay only recently. And my first works were given to my friends as a New Year's gifts. The feedback was very good, I'm happy to say, and everybody was delighted with their little presents.
What makes me even more happy is that some of them loved their presents so much that they now want to learn to make things from polymer clay themselves. My heart is jumping with joy, not only because my friends and I will have one more thing in common, but because of the effect my first (and let's be honest, very shaky) steps in this craft have had: the awakening of creativity from a long winter dream. Let the spring begin! Let the dreams and new ideas blossom!

***

Last few days I was happy to do some organizing, and today we will have a first little polymer clay workshop. I hope that everything will go well and that the excitement will prevail in the days, months and years to come.

With a smile on my face

There are small things that can make you so happy. One of those things are pepople one can meet in this blogging community.
Up until a point when Nena discovered my blog, my blogging experience has been a one-way communication with a possible unknown reader. I didn't even hope that the blog would attract a real audience. But when she stumbeld upon mu blog some time ago, things have wonderfully changed for the better. I got to know about a whole new world of fellow bloggers just like me, who are enourmously tallented and who are creating beautiful things using their skills and imagination. This made me more motivated to create my own little works and to share them more with the world.
But more than anything else, this introduced me to a world where the spirit of good will, sharing and encouragement is an unlikely ruler. Unlikely, because the reality of the world around us can be so opposite that it often makes us forget what the real values shoul be.
So I just want to say thank you Nena3110 for opening the new horizons for me and for sharing your work with all of us!

What a wonderful blogging world this can be!

In black

I used to wonder, then I wondered, and I'll just keep wondering ...

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Heart-shaped pancakes

What is the best pancake recipe? What is the best kind?

I say: the best ones are those made and given with love. And I just want to say: "Thanks!"

PS. And just so yo know, THESE are the REAL pancakes!

Good things in life

In this life of ours, sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry. We cry when sad, we cry when happy. We cry from pain, and we cry from joy. We cry from spite, or when overwhelmed. It is the most natural thing. It shows we're human, that we can feel, that we are alive.
But crying can sometimes confuse people around us. When it's unexpected. One minute you're laughing. The next, tears are puring down your cheeks. At a moment like that it is great to have someone around you. A special someone to comfort you and care for you. To make you feel sheltered and safe. But the best thing of all is when you have someone you don't have to explain yourself to. Someone that knows how and knows why without asking. Someone who knows your soul and your heart. Someone who will be there, no questions asked and whose arms will let you know that they understand.
It is a rare and wondrous thing. I feel so blessed to have it.

One orange butterfly

I am not a superstitious person, but something happened today that got me thinking whether there are more to this world than what we can see, more than the material, tangible reality.

Today I went with my family to the cemetery to visit the family crypt and to honor my late grandfather's birthday. I don't like going to cemeteries (I wonder who does?). I hate being reminded of mortality of human beings, of both my own and people's in general. Somehow I can't manage to oversee that fact as many people do. I envy them, I really do. And, as I've previously said, I don't like being reminded yet again about it.

Our visits to the cemetery have a certain order, a sequence of things we do each time: first we do the cleaning and tidying (there are always some leafs and branches to sweep off the tomb), then we put flowers we brought in water, then the candle is lit (sometimes with great difficulty if it is a windy day, even though there is a covered stone lantern), and finally we stand about in silence, each with their own thoughts, until my father or my aunt says that it is time to leave. That is the way I saw my (now late) grandmother do things, and now the new generations are following the example.

I usually read the names engraved in stone several times, I think about how long they have lived and how old they were when they died. In recent years, since both my grandfather and later my grandmother died, I think about them. I let the memories flow through my head. I remember good times, and I remember bad times. I tell them stories about what's new and then I inevitably wipe my nose trying to keep tears to myself. I don't like when people make too much fuss and drama and public display. If one grieves, it is (or I think it should be) a personal thing done quietly and in recluse.

So we stood in silence yet again, when a movement on the margins of my site caught my attention. What I saw was an orange butterfly. Nothing about it was been extraordinary - it is a kind of butterfly that can often be seen. What made me concentrate on the butterfly and follow it with my eyes was the thought I had when I saw it: somehow it came to me that I once read that butterfly is a symbol of a soul. It struck me as very intriguing to see this little creature flying around us at the cemetery. Then another thing struck me: it WAS flying around us. I watched it carefully. Is it possible that the butterfly really represented a soul, a way for our dearly departed to say "hello"? The butterfly flew in circles around the crypt encircling the tombstone and all of us standing in front of it. It made exactly three full circles before it flew away and out of my site. The number three, the symbol of Trinity, a powerful number. Yet another symbol or yet another coincidence?

Was the butterfly trying to tell us something? Was it there to acknowledge our presence, or was it just flying about enjoying a warm summer day? Was I meant to see it and remember the things I've read about symbols? Be as it may, it did make me wonder. And it did make me feel calm and positive. And I really like to think that there might be something in this little incident.

About symbols:

At home we have this great book, a dictionary of traditional symbols (thanks Milan for choosing such an interesting gift for my sister's birthday!). It offers data about symbols in different religions. I've read about butterfly symbolism after I folded few origami butterflies - I had been simply curious). In many religions the butterfly as a symbol has similar if not the same meaning. An online source confirmed what I've read in the book:

"The butterfly has long been a Christian symbol of resurrection, for it disappears into a cocoon and appears dead, but emerges later far more beautiful and powerful than before." ... "But the butterfly is also a symbol of every Christian's hope of resurrection from the dead."

"The number three represents the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.) "

(http://www.religionfacts.com)

An insignificant comment

I was just going to tell here another sad story, but then I realised that someone might think that I'm severely depressed. It's not that. I'm just disappointed in anything and everything, and I sometimes fail to disguise it cunningly with a smile.