It's a Funky Punky Skunky 'Lifey' !

Monday, October 26, 2015

"Easter in Agios Nikolaos"

Enjoy this wonderful short documentary created by Woodline Films, about the traditional events that take place during the Holy week in Agios Nikolaos, Crete, 2015.

Easter in Agios Nikolaos is perhaps the most impressive in Crete.

Palm Sunday In the morning, all churches offer crosses made of palm leaves and olive branches, reminding the triumphal entering of Christ in Jerusalem before the Passion. Holy Monday & Holy Tuesday. Church services take place in a devout atmosphere during the evening. Holy Wednesday. The service of Holy Unction is performed while the faithful kneel before the priests anointed with the Holy Oil to receive forgiveness. Holy Thursday Eggs are dyed red. The enactment of Christ's Crucifixion takes place in the churches. The faithful offer wreaths to Him. Good Friday. In spite of the mourning the day has a festive atmosphere. During the representation of the removal of the body of Christ from the Cross, it is sprayed with rose petals and placed on the Holy Altar. The Lamentations are chanted in the evening, followed by the exodus of the Epitaphs carried in procession through the main streets.

Holy Saturday

A morning playerful church service is performed. The priests dressed in white scatter bay leaves and rose petals while church bells ring happily and chanters hymn in praise of Lord. Before midnight all lights of each church are turned off and the priest appears at the Royal Door offering the Holy Light to everyone's candle. Then all priests carrying the Holy Icon gather by the Lake where the largest service of Resurrection takes place. Thousands of people with candles attend the symbolic "burning of Judas" in the water, while milliards of fireworks form a dynamic unforgettable atmosphere, bursting the tremendous impact of the event's message. Everyone's exchanging warm greeting and the "Kiss of Love "on the way home, where a special dinner is served with the traditional dish of "Magiritsa" (a strong tasteful soup made of innards and aromatic herbs. It is also served in most of the restaurants on the same night). "Breaking each other's egg" starts now, which is also one of the oldest Easter traditions.

Easter Sunday

During the "Service of Love" the Gospel is read in different languages to express the fact that the message of Christ's Resurrection transmits its redemptive Power to the people of the world. And of course , one of the most spectacular customs of the Cretan Easter is the roasting of lambs, everywhere around, with everyone eating, drinking, singing and dancing, all day long!

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

DIY COFFEE SUGAR SCRUB

PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES

YIELD: ABOUT 1/3 CUP

This DIY Coffee Sugar Scrub is made with all natural ingredients and is a great wake-up for your skin.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons finely-ground coffee (I used recycled grounds)
2 tablespoons oil (I used melted coconut oil)
1 tablespoon sugar (I used turbinado sugar)
(optional) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD

Stir all ingredients together until combined. Store in a sealed jar for up to 2 months.

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of coffee.

I love pour-over-coffee I love cold brew coffee, and I always love it iced. But over the past few months, I have also been experimenting with using leftover coffee grounds as part of my skincare routine. Have you all tried this?

I am no health expert, and will never claim to be. But other experts on the webosphere claim that coffee (and caffeine) apparently do all sorts of good things for your skin.

Namely:

1) diminish the appearance of cellulite

2) tighten and tone the look of your skin

3) serve as an exfoliant, when you use the grounds as a scrub

Plus, coffee is naturally a great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.

And the smell of coffee is one of my favorite things ever. So I jumped on the bandwagon and have been experimenting with using it as a body sugar scrub. And I have found it to be quite delightful. :)

I have been mixing up DIY sugar scrubs for years, and love experimenting with whatever “hot” new ingredients people are recommending. But the ingredients in this scrub are about as simple and straightforward as it gets.

You need:

1) coffee grounds (you can either ground the coffee fresh, or use pre-used grounds like I do)

2) sugar (I used turbinado, but any sugar will work. I would recommend a more finely-ground sugar, like brown sugar, if your skin is sensitive.)

3) oil (coconut oil and olive oil are my two favs)

Just mix them all up, and you will be ready to go with a scrub that smells like your morning cup o’ jo in minutes.

I don’t know if it has honestly made that much of a difference for me with cellulite, but I find the smell of the coffee grounds to be totally energizing and delightful.

And the coconut oil is a great moisturizer.

The one warning I will give is that the coffee grounds make this one much darker than most scrubs.

So don’t freak out if your tub looks looks like it’s full of dirt for a minute before it drains! :)

Also, as with any scrub, be sure to use this with hot water so that it doesn’t clog up your drain.

All in all, it’s natural. It’s a great way to use up leftover coffee grounds.

And it feels good on my skin. So I’m a fan!

Saturday, January 31, 2015

"DIY" Wall Art Ideas.

Monday, June 2, 2014

-Fashion Styles-

Fashion is a popular style or practice, especially in clothing, footwear, accessories, makeup, body piercing, or furniture. Fashion is a distinctive and often habitual trend in the style in which a person dresses. It is the prevailing styles in behaviour and the newest creations of textile designers. The more technical term costume has become so linked to the term "fashion" that the use of the former has been relegated to special senses like fancy dress or masquerade wear, while "fashion" means clothing more generally, including the study of it. Although aspects of fashion can be feminine or masculine, some trends are androgynous.