THE LIEBSTER AWARD

It's about time I did the Liebster award. I want to thank Esther for nominating me. Please check out her Blog: Esther puts together amazing outfits for every season and gives great beauty and fashion tips.

The Rules

1. Thank the person who nominated you and link back up to their blog
2. Answer the 11 questions given to you by the nominator
3. Nominate maximum 11 other bloggers for this award who have less than 200 followers
4. Create 11 questions for your nominees to answer
5. Let the nominees know that they have been nominated by going to their blog and notifying them



1.When did you start blogging and what do you enjoy most about blogging?

I started blogging at the end of last year and what I enjoy the most about it is that it is a place that is mine and mine only and where I can completely express myself in writing. I could be everything I want and it’s my way to let people into my world.

2. Describe your ideal day.

My ideal day would be in my ideal world and it would go something like this:

In the morning I get up and train for athletics

I have lunch with a friend or someone I would like to know a bit more

Take some pictures of people, things or sceneries

Train more in the afternoon

In the evening chat to distant friends via phone or skype and blog, film or write songs and do music.

If my days were always like this, I would go to bed satisfied :)

3. What are your top tips for staying happy.

Doing what you love and if you’re not there yet, then love what you do.

Never compare yourself to others and be content with who you are and what you have

4. What is your favourite fragrance?

I love “Si” by Armani, “Manifesto” by YSL and “Modern Muse” by Estee Lauder

5. Do you have a favourite colour?

Black. But I also like grey and White. I love these colours.

6. You are in a mall, what is the first shop you enter?

Any beauty store with makeup, fragrances and skin care products.

7. What is your favourite summertime drink

White grape and peach tea.

8. What is the one make-up item you couldn't live without?

I could never live without lip balm. Does that count? If it doesn't then lip gloss.

9. Favorite holiday destination?

My home country, Italy.

10. One advice for new bloggers?

Be consistent in your blogging but do not write for the sake of quantity. Write quality posts that show your passion  and dedication and who you really are.

11. Favorite inspirational quote?

Happiness is not a destination, but it is a journey.

My Questions.

1. What was your favorite food when you were a child? 
2. What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod? 
3. What is one of your favorite quotes? 
4. What’s your favorite indoor/outdoor activity? 
5. What chore do you absolutely hate doing? 
6. What is your favorite form of exercise? 
7. What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year? 
8. What is your favorite body part? 
9. If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? 
10. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to? 
11. If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? 

Bloggers I am nominating

Fola - African Wax Me Out

Joy Mumford - Lullabies & Candy 

Joy Hunter - JoyCarmen

Goodbye for now

One of my favourite songs that I used to listen to a lot, especially when I was younger, was ‘Goodbye for now’ by P.O.D. One line from the lyrics that always gets my attention says: “The hardest part of holding on is letting go”.

 We could talk for ages about the subject of holding on and letting go as it is a quite big topic. A whole book could be written about it and I’m sure we all have different opinions and stands on the matter. However, I would like to focus only on a few points relating them to what I have personally experienced.

 As a princess, people always think I’ve got it all together. I must admit my personality also contributes to this misjudgement as I can be very assertive and blunt. But like my sister always says: “If they could only spend 24 hrs with you…THEY WILL BE COMPLETELY SHOCKED!” at which we always burst in laughter.

 To the surprise of many people if they knew this, I can be VERY EMOTIONAL AND SENSITIVE. I can cry very easily and I can sometimes take what people say and do very deeply even when it is not that deep! I personally think this is a good thing as it is part of the original design that God had in mind when He made me. This side of me gives me the ability to empathise with others and really relate to them on a deeper level. However, the flip side of the coin is a situation where I can sometimes blow circumstances, people’s actions and words out of proportions and turn them more serious than they were meant to be.

 So bearing this in mind, you can understand that I am very much in touch with my emotions and thus, I like to hold on unto things.

 One day, I sat down, looked around me and I realized how miserable I was. The reason was that Prince Beau was in the neighbourhood at that point in time. I  realised I was miserable because I did what a lot us girls do: just wishing and dreaming. “I wish  he noticed me” “I wish he would talk to me” “I wish he knew how amazing and perfect I was for him” and so forth followed by a lot of looooong sighs.

 IT’S PATHETIC!!! WHAT KIND OF LIFE IS THIS??!!! IT’S JUST SO PATHETIC! Sometimes in those moments I look at myself from the outside and just say: “you’re so embarrassing! Pick yourself up and stop being a looser! All those women did not burn their bras early in the century for you to sit there and moan over a boy like this!” (DISCLAIMER: this approach is not for everyone but it works for me!)

 Eventually, after a lot of these therapy sessions with myself I got to the point where my feelings for Prince Beau had to be buried. Honestly, they had to die. The situation got so crazy where I got to the point where I saw in competition with everyone who was ‘tryna steal my man’! hah hah aah!! CAN YOU IMAGINE?!

 It ALWAYS baffles me how guys have the power to determine our mood and our emotions from the highest highs to the lowest lows. THAT IS NOT THE LIFE!

 The thing is, they don’t have that power as the truth is we give it to them. We give it to them the moment they become our priority. The moment they become all we think about. The moment they become all we talk about. The moment they ‘make our day’ with a text message, a call or a smile that probably is not even that much of a big deal. The moment they take a position in our hearts that wasn’t designed for them. And for me, my epiphany came the moment God had to fight with them for the seat of my heart and for my full attention.

 So I’ve decided to take each moment as it comes, without forcing and just seeing how things go.

 Life has an interesting way of making things happen when we least expect it.

 The most beautiful things happen naturally, when we have no control over them. In that way, we are taken by surprise and we really do appreciate  those moments that come as presents. And for those moments, we are grateful.

 If you are like me, always in a rush in making things happen, take your feet off the accelerator and enjoy the present. Princesses don’t sweat it cos they know, in the end, they are and will be blessed with the finest things.

Enjoy your week and remember: you are royalty.

Xxx Princess Leona xxX

A Little Getaway

Hi everyone!

MASSIVE APOLOGIES! I am deeply and truly sorry! :( I know I have been M.I.A for a while now. I had a very hectic summer dealing with a million things. BUT now everything seems to be more settled into a routine. :) (not really but I like to believe so lol!).

Last month I went home to Italy and it was the best time ever! In my last YouTube video, I talk about the importance of having a getaway once in a while just to get refreshed and rejuvenated.

This was the most amazing time as I haven't been home since Christmas so it was nice to see my family and friends. And the most beautiful thing for me was to just be completely myself with not a worry in the world.

I encourage everyone to take time off to once in a while to just rest and recharge yourself. Watch my latest YouTube video to know more about it! ;)

Have an amazing week guys! Ciaoooo!

x Princess Leona x

Fairy-tales Daydreaming

The power we have as women to make up stories in our head is UNREAL!



We LOVE to create beautiful fairy-tales where we are the main characters and where, through various twists and challenges, we get to the well expected happy ending we've always wished for. We sometimes imagine things that in real life are highly unlikely to happen and unfortunately this gets us involved in awkward and uncomfortable situations in real life.

Like when we stalk the guy we like on social media and find out different information about him and we accidentally bring that up in conversations (when we do have them, for you lucky ones out there) with him.



What we are actually guilty of, which is also the main drive to these daydreams, is the amazing gift we have, most of the times, of blowing things out of proportion: what he says or doesn't say, does or doesn't do always has a meaning for us. This is accompanied by the crafty skill in explaining to ourselves and others how that makes PERFECT SENSE. “He didn't say hi to me cos he is really SHY!” (when in reality he could just be really rude, or he didn't notice your presence or just doesn't care!); “He keeps giving me compliments cos he is CLEARLY attracted to me” (or maybe he is just a really nice guy that likes complimenting people or girls! Either way it is out of nicety rather than a specific attraction towards you).



Now, I don’t mean that when they do say these kind of things, it is NEVER what we think and want it to be. However, what I've learnt is that, unless it comes from his mouth, you should never run your own race in your mind on what these guys actually intend those unsaid words or actions to be. And EVEN WHEN IT DOES COME FROM HIS MOUTH, he could still be lying or not be entirely sure of what he is saying so you might not always actually know the truth.

However, in the midst of all these feelings, no matter what truth will eventually be, we need to be able discipline ourselves to still remain focused and remember who we are. You fall into THE TRAP when you allow what he says or doesn't say, do or doesn't do to control your mood and emotions. No one should have this power over you except yourself.



Liking someone and the process that goes with it is a thrilling and exciting journey, whether short-lived or for a longer term. However, this process does not always have a happy ending and one important thing to keep in mind is to always remember who you are. You are beautiful, special and unique and ensure that no matter what the outcome will be, you will not lose yourself in the process. Our individuality sets us all apart from each other and thus, NOT EVERYONE will recognize the beauty of it. And to be honest, not everyone is MEANT TO as we are all different.



The one who is meant to see all the facets of the core of who you are, with all your qualities and all your flaws, will be the one who will recognize you even in the crowd cos only his eyes were meant to see what everyone else couldn't see.


Treat yourself to something nice this week cos no matter what, you deserve it.

If you want, you can share below what you did.

Have a nice week.



*Princess Leona*

S.O.S Wikihow

I think when you get to the point of 'googling' something you know it’s a serious business.



Unlike what people think, I am ACTUALLY quite a shy person! I HATE being at the center of attention unless I’m in my element: e.g. singing, dancing or sports competition. I had to learn (and I am still learning) to get over myself and be confident no matter what I am doing. So I understand what it means to be shy and especially feeling insecure. However, I don’t necessarily let that stop me from being myself and get what I want (at least not all the time). And this brings me to my dilemma.

What I googled today was: “how to let a shy guy make a move”! I mean, I know it is a bit desperate and pathetic to say the least but I didn't know WHAT ELSE to do. Prince Beau will drive any woman crazy with his mixed signals and ambiguous intentions. I obviously don’t know if he likes me but I am also not certain of the opposite. (But then, I am also not sure if he likes anyone anyways). So I NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING to find out.

The frustration brought me to 'Wikihow'. Wikihow is such a great website as it deals with ANYTHING but it really makes me laugh on how seriously it deals with the stupidest topics (like how to count the hair on your head!) 

Anyways, it was giving me great advice on the aforementioned dilemma that made perfect sense. However, it didn't shine any light on my situation: I have either tried those suggestions already and didn't work or never thought of trying them and I know THEY JUST WON'T WORK.



However, reading the different articles opened my eyes on the reasons behind the actions of this interesting male species. Some of them are quite obvious, like nervousness that hinders shy guys from being themselves. Other ones were quite interesting: sometimes a shy guy might not make a move because he thinks he is out of your league and you will never like someone like him. Or sometimes his shyness doesn’t always translate in nervousness or anxiety but also in rudeness and aloofness. He can appear like he’s not interested in having a conversation with you or even in acknowledging your presence when IN ACTUAL FACT, he REALLY wants to talk to you. 

I don't know about you but I find that really interesting.



However, I eventually had to realise that there is nothing I can do about the situation. LITERALLY NOTHING. All I can do is wait and see what happens. Focus on working on myself and being myself, all the time and ESPECIALLY around him, as I can unwillingly become quite awkward and just weird!!



Despite the failure in applying any of 'Wikihow's' suggestions, one thing I will take with me is that it is important not to rush things and to go at a slower pace than what you will normally do. He needs to build the trust that will make him more confident around you when you’re together. And that goes the same for you: you need to ensure that he is a keeper and only then, you will be able to trust him. And this, takes TIME.

And that does not only go for shy guys but for every guy.



Patience is a rare and challenging virtue but once you acquire it, you can cherish it forever because you know you will always need it.



Challenge yourself to be extra patient with one thing or one person this week...

Yours,

Xxx Princess Leona xxX

It's all in the eyes...

Today I had one of the most surreal experiences EVER.



I have always liked Prince Beau. His father is the King of Victoria Town and he is the desire of almost every girl! He is charming, with the cutest smile in town and he has an AMAZING voice. His musical talent is so versatile, it is borderline annoying and you can easily find yourself coveting his gifts.



When I met Prince Beau for the first time I genuinely thought he was 15 years old!! He has a baby face and I just couldn’t comprehend that he was actually older!! So funny!!!



So I didn’t like Prince Beau straight away, as in from the first time I saw him. It wasn’t love at first sight in the conventional way that we normally perceive it. Something about him caught my attention but I don’t necessarily know what. Maybe it is the way he was intensely looking into my eyes that made me slightly uncomfortable. Or the fact that he held unto my hand for longer than the necessary period of time. Or it was just his smile: his beautiful and genuine smile.



I must admit that what really stuck me with him was his voice. His sweet and warm voice. I’m really into music so I love listening to quality content but his voice is different. I already knew I was trapped the moment I got one of his songs so I could listen to it whenever I wanted to without looking for it online.



We’ve had a really weird and bizarre relationship from the beginning. I can’t call him a friend cos we’re not. We have periods where we we're cool and periods where we completely ignore each other, to the extreme where I really dislike him and find him rude. It’s been a see-saw of an acquaintance that even today, after all this time, I still cannot truly define.



The surreal experience refers to last night. I GENUINELY DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE HIM. I was with my friend when he walked over towards us. From afar he saw me, said hi and I was like “oh hi!”. Really normal. Got closer to me and that's when it all happened.

So you see, these things normally happen in movies: where the guy and the girl lock each other’s gazes and they can’t look away. I don’t remember ever seeing it in real life and I have definitely never experienced it for myself. It was crazy, it was weird, it was surreal…SURREAL is the word!! My brain was not connecting to my mouth, my tongue was locked, I could not think! My mind LITERALLY went blank! And I AM SURE he was in the same state cos he couldn’t say a word to me but STARE. We stared in each other’s eyes for what seemed ages. The whole fantasy stopped only because his friend said “Beau! Do you wanna keep it moving?!” and that’s how we both got back to reality!

It was like we went to a whole new world! It was like there was no one else around us. And I’M NOT EVEN being cheesy cos I genuinely even forgot that my friend was there.

I never saw him again that night even though I really wished in a take two to ‘fix’ what happened the first time(and attempt to have a normal conversation).



That was so weird and I’m not gonna lie: it freaked me out a little bit. I didn’t know things like this could happen in real life. And it’s…quite pleasant. In a way.



I wish for all of you to experience this one day if you haven't. That person could be the one.



Keep on dreaming, it's free…



Xxx Princess Leona xxX

Peace

Princess Leona works in a financial firm as a financial specialist. It’s a nice company. The pay is not what people think it is but it is enough for her to look after herself and still be generous. However, in her dream world, she will be lounging around all day, doing only the things she likes and getting paid for it.



Her life revolves around the same aspects of any young adult in their twenties: relationships, friendships, career, family and the like. The journey of growing up is not easy and finding her stand in this world is not comfortable but she’s learning.



Today she learnt how peace is one of the most important things in life. Peace is what keeps you focused and balanced no matter how bad things are. It is what helps you remain hopeful in the midst of adversities. It is what enables you to keep dreaming especially when things aren't exactly going the way you want them to.



Peace is what helps you being secure in yourself when people misunderstand you or take you the wrong way. Peace enables you to accept yourself for who you are no matter your race, gender, height, personality and overall physical appearance.



Peace makes you confident in keeping believing in your goals even when everyone else doesn't.



Peace gives you the freedom to be YOU: in all your flaws, qualities and imperfections.



Peace is an inestimable treasure and a precious gift that we should all cherish.



Allow peace to take over your everyday existence and you will be able to see beauty in every storm.



Don’t stop believing and keep on dreaming…



x Princess Leona x