VISIT MEĐUGORJE WITH IVANA! ( OUTFIT AND TRAVEL POST)
Hello! Did you know my blog came to life on 22nd of November 2012? My first post was about baseball caps, so it was fashion oriented and contained what could be now called 'outfit post'. I opened my blog planning to write about fashion, but with time it grow to include my other interests such as art, literature and sustainable travel. So, I have been blogging for eleven years and a month! That's quite a long career for a personal (i.e. non profitable) blog, I would say. I even googled the average life span of a blog and the result indicated an average of only one hundred days. I'm glad I'm still blogging. I've considered retirement once or twice, took a break or two, but I always came back to blogging. Why not?
Blogging can be such an educating and enriching experience. Both blogging and reading blogs is something I still love, so I plan on continuing doing it. There's much talk about whether blogs are dead or not, but if you're not doing it for a profit, the popularity of blogging doesn't seem that important. So, what if social media has taken over? It doesn't really matter, especially if you're blogging for yourself and your friends/readers. If you're blogging for a profit, you'll still have a chance as you're likely have less competition. Blogs will always be in demand one way or another. The way we consume them has changed and it will continue changing. The rise of social media didn't kill blogging, but it made it a different experience. Us seasoned bloggers remember the times when it was not unusual for a blog post to have hundreds of comments. It is rare to see many comments under a post nowadays. The experience is different, but it's still a good one. Blogging can be digital diary, a place for us to express our creativity and thoughts and a little place to call our own in the open spaces of Internet.
Time for another travel post. It's been a while since I did one (THE GREEN CATHEDRAL AND VRLIKA AUGUST 2023). Lately I've been focused mostly on book review posts i.e. my reading recommendations. Although, one could argue that my book posts are also travel and outfit post as I usually shot at different locations. So, you get a dose of fashion and travel even in my book review posts. Today I'm taking you to Međugorje, a charming village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I'll talk a bit more about it later. Now, about my outfit! This brown and blue autumn styling proved to be a success. I loved paired different shades of brown, from chocolate to beige. Moreover, the blue tones on this dress are quite refreshing. I've gotten more wear than I expected from this second hand dress.
SUSTAINABLE FASHION FILES- THE STORY OF MY OUTFIT
Sustainable fashions files are all about wearing our clothes repeatedly and shopping our closets. I shop my closet all the time, opting to wear things I already have instead of shopping for new things. Having a blog is wonderful because it enables me to prove that I indeed shop my closet all the time. You wouldn't believe how long I go without purchases, often months on end. When I do shop, I try to support local designers or opt for vintage/ second hand options. I always loved shopping
BROWN WIDE HAT WITH FAKE PEARLS- HERE
BLUE IMPRESSIONIST PATTERN SCARF- HERE
Was there anything about my outfit that I would change? Honestly, yes. I should have worn warmer tights. It wouldn't make any difference to the outfit visually, but I would have been warmer. Otherwise, I really loved this look and I felt great wearing this! My husband also liked it. He took a lot of photos of me! Well, he always loved that but this time he seemed even more enthusiastic than usual. He made me pose in such a way to show statement sleeves. I do love a good statement sleeve.
I've blogged about Međugorje many times. I will include some links below in case you want to have a look.
DECEMBER 2020 - https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2020/12/how-to-style-pleated-skirt-in-winter.html
MEĐUGORJE- A GREEN OASIS OF PEACE AND QUIET- Being sustainable with travel is another great idea if you are looking to make a difference. You can do it by being a local tourist and exploring the areas you would otherwise visit for various.
The location where these photographs were taken is Međugorje (Medjugorje), a small touristic village in Herzegovina. Most of tourists that come to this village do so for religious reasons as Medjugorje is one of the most visited Christian pilgrimage sites, but you can also come to enjoy the nature. If you're interested to see and learn more about Međugorje, you can also visit my old post shot at this location and find more information there. It really is a lovely and peaceful place. Perfect for lovers of rural tourism and fine dining. There are some amazing restaurants in this area!
HOW ARE YOU DOING? WHATEVER YOU'RE FEELING IS VALID!
How are your holidays going? I hope you've had some time off. How are you doing in general? I'm alright. I feel like I'm starting to come to my senses. One of the things I enjoyed in my days off was just cooking for myself and others. I don't normally get to cook with my usual working hours (except for the weekends). Naturally, I've also enjoyed spending time with friends and family. I'm grateful for any amount of time I get to spend with my loved ones. I'm learning just how fast the life flies by. We should cherish those moments, no matter how we might be feeling at that moment and no matter what is going on in the world. It's alright to be tired. We're all tired sometimes. Many of us often. Life is hard. It's ok not to be ok. It's also ok to be ok. You don't have to make yourself feel down because of the increasingly depressive state of the affairs this world is in. Your feeling are valid either way. Feel what you've got to. Happy, sad a mix or whatever- if that is not what you're feeling. If you feel down, that's alright too. Holidays can be hard. They sort of get our hopes up and put things under a magnifying glass. I didn't really feel that as exhausted as I expected considering how burned out I went into the holidays started. I sort of took things easy, drank a lot of ginger tea and did one thing at a time. It looks like I've finally learned to take my own advice- at least sometimes- MY TIPS FOR SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS!
MY PAST REFLECTIONS ABOUT NEW YEAR
Do you write NY resolutions lists? I sometimes do and sometimes I don't. Sometimes my resolution is more of a mantra, sometimes I make concrete and detailed plans.
ALL THE BEST IN 2023! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022! GOODBYE 2021 & WELCOME YEAR 2022! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020 NYE OUTFIT PROPOSAL 2020
I hope I'll manage to see you again before the year ends, but if I don't, I wish you a happy 2024! All the best. Take care, life is short!
Happy 2024 Ivana. I know your Blog for many Years <3 You look adorable, amazing Outfit.
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteCongratulations! All the best to your blogging! Love this location with your outfit! Wonderful to see your inspiring looks! All the best to a new year of creativity and much more💕🎉🎈
ReplyDeleteThank you. I love this location too.
DeleteI had visited it so many times but I never get bored of it.
So awesome! And I am so glad you are here! Thanks for showing us so many things! I love your ingenuity! Wishing you the best in fashion, reads, reviews, travels and of course, your art. Thank you so much for your posts as well as your comments! Happy new year!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteBello lugar. Estas m uy linda. Te deseo un feliz año para ti y tu familia.
ReplyDeletegracias!
DeleteIt's always nice to see and read you, dear Ivana, especially in Medjugorje, a Catholic pilgrimage place! I wish you all the best in the New Year 2024, and most of all I wish you health and happiness ❤️❤️❤️🇭🇷
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, the blogging world has changed a lot, but I still blog with a lot of passion, and I think you do too! I really liked your look and that place in Herzegovina, I love getting to know new places! I wish you a happy 2024 with health, work, peace and love! Hugs from Portugal!
Thank you. Herzegovina is not a well known destination, but it's wonderful!
DeleteI've started blogging in March 2016, so coming up to 8 years! Even in that relatively short space of time, the blogging world has changed almost beyond recognition, with lots of erstwhile bloggers deserting their blogs for Instagram. I know I will never give up mine unless I am forced to. An average of only one hundred days? I'm really shocked about that, but then again not, as I think it is a sign of the times. People underestimate the amount of time it takes to maintain a blog and forget about the interaction with one's fellow bloggers.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I too started out blogging about (vintage) fashion and have diversified in the meantime.
Thank you for your wonderful blog posts, Ivana, and in this case it was a pleasure to tag along to Međugorje! Your outfit is fabulous too and I loved the photos of you and your husband.
Wishing you both a happy and healthy 2024! xxx
The first blog I have ever heard of was about vintage fashion so that was my inspiration too. Having a blog does take some time and work. In some ways it's like having a digital diary. You do put work into it, but it enables you to record memories and look back. I much prefer it to social media because the interaction feels more genuine and less random. I don't mind that much that there are less blogs (even though I really miss some) because there are still bloggers I follow and that's enough for me.
DeleteYou look gorgeous Ivana! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
DeleteYou look gorgeous in your blue & brown hued outfit, two colours I love to wear together.
ReplyDeleteI started my blog in September 2009 so it's been over 14 years since I started writing mine and I've never felt the need to seek profit from it - it's a hobby, not a business! I only used to write about my clothes and occasionally about our house thinking nobody would be interested in my travels (I used to spend 2 months a year in India up until around 2013!) Now I write about my life. I did have a few thousand followers on IG but it lacks depth and there's too much selling, memes, pouty selfies and self-pity on there so I shall continue to blog even though it's a shadow of its former self.
Wishing you many more years of blogging and a very healthy and happy 2024! xxx
Boa noite Ivana. Quero agradecer pelo seu carinho e amizade, desejo um Feliz Ano Novo com muita paz e saúde. Seu amigo carioca e brasileiro, Luiz Gomes.
ReplyDelete<3
DeleteWOW! Congratulations! I did started mine back in Oct 2011 and I didn't start posting until Dec of that same year. Can't believe how much time have passed by since then. I always wondered if blogging was dead or not, but even if I'm not posting as frequently as I'd love to, it's always my happy and safe place to come back to and just write from the heart. My blog has always been my online digital diary and going back to old posts feels like going back to my old self as well, remembering what I've been through and such. I've also thought about quitting but I rather leave it as is because it's a part of me and who I was/am, plus also keeping it for the sake of memories! :)
ReplyDeleteRegards your outfit, I love it so much! Perfect color combo and loving all the details and textures as well. PS: Brown is one of my favourite colors!!!
Wishing you a beautiful year! All the best in this 2024! ♥
That is such a great dress on you, it does look so good with all the brown :) congrats on keeping up with your blog for so long! I enjoy mine too, although I haven't had much time for it lately I'm trying to get back into it and schedule some post sin advance so I can use some blogging time to catch up on everyone's posts that I have missed lately!
ReplyDeleteHope you have a wonderful start to the new year :)
Quero dar-lhe os meus parabéns pelo blog e pela publicação que faz.
ReplyDeleteA modelo vai sempre muito bem e isso valoriza e muito a publicação feita.
Abraço amigo.
Juvenal Nunes
Bom dia de terça-feira. Boa continuação de Ano Novo, com muita paz e saúde.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on blogging for over 11 years! That's amazing! Also love your look, love the color of your dress, you look beautiful! Hope you have an amazing New Year!
ReplyDeletexoxo, Midori
https://www.midorilinea.com/blogs/midori-linea/my-new-creative-outlet-for-my-daughter-hannah
Beautiful photos and great outfit 😊
ReplyDeleteHappy blog anniversary and happy new year Ivana! You have certainly come very far with your blog. I always enjoy your artwork and book reviews.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on 11 years of blogging! Those of us who blog get it - I do miss the masses of comments way back in the late 00s, but I do treasure the friends I've made.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! Love your dress. <3
Hello Ivanna, you reminded me of the beginnings of blogging, I also started around that time and I have seen all the changes during this time, without a doubt social networks changed the pace of blogging, but I think that despite that, blogs have an audience captive who enjoys reading and photography, that will never go out of style, I love your look, two colors combine very well, because I have also slowed down the pace of buying clothes each season and I try to reuse what I already have in my wardrobe. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThanks Rebeca.
DeleteBeautiful out fit! Your painting looks great as usual.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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