MY SPRING ALPHABET 2024

Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers. With only two days until the start of Summer, I decided to write a Spring Alphabet. This post is basically going to me doing a small summary of my Spring. I will pick one word for each letter of the alphabet and write a bit about it. I did something similar a few years back when I wrote my Summer alphabet and it's been fun reflecting on that post. My Spring was really eventful, so I can't complain. In this post, I'll also share a few of my Spring outfits that I haven't had the chance to share before. Scroll down to see and read more!

OUTFIT DETAILS- HOW I WORE IT BEFORE?

OUTFIT #1 A YELLOW BLAZER PAIRED WITH JEANS

THE YELLOW VINTAGE BLAZER

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2020/10/10-ways-to-style-yellow-blazer-for.html

HAND PAINTED GREEN LONG SLEEVED TOP- A LITTLE PLACE TO CALL MY OWN

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2019/10/8-ways-to-style-printed-skirt-while.html

THE HIGH RISE CAPRI JEANS

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-good-pair-of-sneakers-is-worth.html

THE BIKER BOOTS

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2024/06/a-wizard-of-earthsea-by-ursula-k-le.html

OUTFIT #2 STANKA ZOVKO BLOUSE PAIRED WITH AN AN AMADEUS DRESS

OZZ BLOUSE BY FASHION DESIGNER STANKA ZOVKO

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-matching-tea-green-set-from-designer.html

A BLUE AMADEUS DRESS

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2022/10/how-to-style-pale-blue-summer-dress-for.html

A PAIR OF LEOPARD HEELS

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2024/06/the-secret-agent-by-joseph-conrad.html

#OUTFIT 3 A FLORAL SHIRT PAIRED WITH A MINI BLACK DRESS

A FLORAL RUFFLED SHIRT

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2024/06/the-time-of-indifference-novel-by.html

A MINI BLACK DRESS WITH STATEMENT SLEEVES

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2022/04/happy-easter-weekend-everyone-wiwt.html

METALLIC HEELS 

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2024/05/a-builder-of-inn-graditelj-svratista-by.html

MY SPRING ALPHABET

 A IS FOR AUTISM

I distinctly remember the time when I started looking into autism. I was about twenty years old. I was when I started volunteering at one Association for children with special needs when I met and worked for the first time families whose children were on the autism spectrum. I was a language student then, I'm a teacher now. I'm in my late thirties now, so you can say that I've had some experience in this educational field. However, there's always more to learn. It's a topic one can talk in length about. Obviously, I won't do it now but I'm mentioning Autism specifically because it's been on my mind a lot. In particular, there was one event that really made me think and consider many things. This Spring I went to an autism conference that was as emotional as it was education. Besides the professional aspect of the education, I also really enjoyed the very human aspect of it. There were two guests lectors from Serbia, one is a psychologist and a mother to an autistic child and the other is a special needs educator. Both gave really outstanding lectures. 

B IS FOR BOOKS

I bought a lot of vintage books this Spring. I think I bought around twenty. They weren't expensive and they are definitely the best purchase I made this Spring. I tried to make time for reading and I did manage to get some done. However, with my long working hours, I didn't read as much as I hoped I will. Fortunately, Summer is near and I hope that soon I'll have some free time. 

C IS FOR CROATIA

Croatia is my home country. I got to spend some lovely moments there this Spring. I spend a lot of time in my home town Split, many of my weekend actually. I also visited Split and island Brač with my school. Moreover, I basically spend my Spring break on island Hvar. I attended several cultural events in Croatia. I mean I sort of live between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Both of these countries are my home. So, you could say that my Spring was all about Croatia!

D IS FOR DANCE

Dance is good for soul and I should find more time for it. Whenever I do a some dancing, even if it is such a silly dance, I always feel better. So, a reminder to myself that I should dance more. Do you dance? Do you like to dance? 

E IS FOR EDUCATION

For me, education is a work poignant with meanings. It's more than just a field a work in. It's a way of life. I truly believe we should educate ourselves the best we can. There are so many area in our life we need to educate ourselves son. This Spring I've been listening to a lot of podcasts about psychology and relationship. Some of these podcasts are not applicable for me personally because of my specific cultural background but they were still very educating.

F IS FOR FATIQUE

Spring fatigue is very real for me. I suffer from it every year. This Spring I tried to be a bit more proactive about it. I even wrote a list with a number of ways to fight the Spring fatigue. I just realized that for a lot of people these advices will be more relevant for Summer. Because of high temperatures in Mediterranean countries, what other continental European countries experience as Summer fatigue is actually what we go through in the Spring. So, you might still find this article useful. 

G IS FOR GIRAFFE

A dear colleague of mine adores giraffes. All the kids know it and they always draw giraffes for her. It's the sweet thing. I like them, too. So, they also draw giraffes for me. There's actually a whole story behind it. When she was a kid, the other kids called her a giraffe. Believe it or not, the same thing happened to me. Only they called me giraffe number too, because there was another girl taller than me. The girl wasn't my colleague but my neighbour, though. My colleague's more than 20 years my senior and grew up in Australia, but isn't it funny how we had exactly the same childhood nickname. Now, we both love giraffes and homes full of drawings of giraffes drawn by kids. Haven't we just come full circle! Turned something of. Not that I ever felt bullied. As a kid, I felt more bullied by teacher than by other kids. Those were some other times. The challenges of being a kid today are quite different. I don't think they have it easier than we did. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! MY BIRTHDAY CAKE!

H IS FOR HAPPINESS

Happiness is a complex word for me. I'm not a fan of pursuit of happiness for the sake of happiness. I believe in organic happiness, the one that happens without us trying to hard. I'm not in favour of using questionable life hacks and self-help books to achieve happiness. I even wrote about the dangers of fake happiness on my blog. This Spring I've definitely had some happy moments. I've met some new people, shared some amazing experiences and on overall experienced happiness. At the same time, I also experienced sadness. I think it's important to remember that one doesn't usually go without the other. Rather they typically go hand in hand, don't they? Spring is also my birthday season. So, this season I had my Happy birthday moment. My students actually gifted me presents. I was surprised they even remembered my birthday, and even more that they bought me something. I got a lot of presents for 8th of March as well, as is a tradition here. I also got presents from my students for the end of the school year. My house is literally filled with presents that I haven't even unpacked yet. 

I IS FOR ILLUSTRATION

I almost gave up on my art, but not entirely. I still made time to do some illustrations. There are even some paintings I'm working on. It's hard to make time for art when you work full time and have social obligations, but one must try. There're no giving up! I just giggled when I recalled how my students sometimes echoed those words to me. I often say that. Maybe this Summer, I'll get the chance to work on my illustrations and art more. Speaking of my students, I do draw for me during homework classes and other stuff. 

J IS FOR JOY

The name of my blog literally translated means- Fashion an Ode to Joy. When I started my blog, I wanted to share the joy that clothes and fashion bring to me. I think I succeeded in that, at least to an extent. Like everyone who has been blogging for a long time, I had my moments when I wondered whether I should continue to blog or not, but for now I'm glad I did. I managed to find time for my blog this Spring and that's brought me some joy.

K IS FOR KINESTHETIC (AWARENESS)

I've been trying to get back in shape and to learn more about how our bodies work. I'm trying to be more mindful of the way I move my body and use my muscles. Kinesthetic awareness is as important as mental awareness and mindfulness. By feeling our bodies, we can help them relax.  If we want to keep our mobility, it's something we need to work on. I love to buy books about physical therapy, sports and all that. Our bodies are our tools and we need to take care of our tools.

L IS FOR LOVE

What is love? That eternal topic one can talk about day and night! There are so many things we call love. I think we also need to focus more on talking about other kinds of love besides the romantic one. Love for our families and friends, love for others, love for science, love for art, love for our jobs and so on.

outfit details: white cherry dress,  golden scarf and brown heels

M IS FOR MALTA

I did a serious of posts on Malta and I'm actually not even done with my travelogue. There are still more travel posts I want to do about Malta, but perhaps they will have to wait, possibly even until the next Autumn, because I have more Summer content waiting to be published. However, if you really want to see them, I can schedule them sooner. Let me know if you enjoyed them. Below you can see a gif and a photograph of me in a white cherry print dress paired with a golden scarf I bought in Valetta, Malta. I wore this outfit for a visit to Međugorje. So, another place that starts with an M.

N IS FOR NERETVA

I'm simply in love with this river, I cannot get enough of it! If you ask me, it's one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. 

O IS FOR OPERA

If you didn't know it, I'm a big opera lover. I haven't had the chance to see any live operas this Spring, but I managed to see some lovely plays. Fortunately, there are recordings one can listen to. As of late, I've been listening a lot to Pavarotti and Maria Callas. 

P IS FOR PHONE

Like most people, I was spending too much time on my phone. Honestly, I just wish I could turn it off forever sometimes. Phones definitely blur the line between our private and professional lives. They add hours to our working hours. I get called and texted at all times and it can get overwhelming sometimes. 

R IS FOR RESTAURANTS

Herzegovina has some amazing restaurants. The dinning experience here is really outstanding. I haven't really been that keen on restaurants and dining before I met my husband. However, he just loves to eat out so we do it fairly often. As you can see on the photographs, there are some wonderful restaurants here. Besides Herzegovian restaurants, I also like Dalmatian ones. Herzegovian cuisine is similar to Dalmatian actually. I would say that my comfort food is Chinese and Mediterranean food. Dalmatian cuisine is the cuisine I was raised on and it's basically everything you think of when you think of Dalmatian diet. Chinese food I just love because I do. I've loved it since I first tried it. I always eat in Chinese restaurants when I'm in Split. 

RESTAURANT BUNA NEAR MOSTAR, BIH

RESTAURANT BISER ORIENTA IN SPLIT CROATIA

RESTAURANT CALIPSO IN ČAPLJINA, BIH

S IS FOR SABATON

Another band I've been listening to non stop is Sabaton. As someone who loves history and metal, they're simply a dreamy combination. The lyrics of their song focus on WWII a lot but they also sing about some unsung heroes. I love how they really do their research. You must give them a listen if you're a fan of metal.

U IS FOR UNIQUENESS

Sometimes we forget how important is to be unique. Not just in the way we dress or act, but in the way we think and act. I you have to dress uniform for work, that's fine, but try to dress for yourself sometimes. Have fun with clothes, shapes and colours. The same applies to everything. Don't let your home look like everyone's else home. Customize it a little bit. You don't have to be creative in every area of your life, but be creative somewhere. Be unique somehow. Find something to be unique about, be it the way you layer your necklaces or the way you wear your belt. Be unique about something and own it. That's often how style is born. Most importantly, be unique about the way you think. 

OUTFIT DETAILS: VINTAGE BLAZER, RED TOP, FLARED LEGGINGS, KITTEN HEELS AND A BELT BAG.

V IS FOR VINAGE

I love vintage things. Whether it comes to fashion, books, clothes or music, I do love all things vintage. 

Y IS FOR YELLOW

Yellow is one of those colours that always inspire positive energy in me. Perhaps I should start wearing more yellow again. I do have some cute yellow clothing items. 

W IS FOR WEIGHT (GAIN)

I gained weight and my gastroenterologist is very happy about that. Interesting how it is a different conversation with different people. I guess I'm fortunate that with all my health problems, I didn't really struggle with weight that much. Speaking of weight, I think the important thing is to try and take care of our health. However, healthy weight is a part of our health. It goes a bit beyond the superficial and it's sort of our responsibility to do what we can to keep it healthy, isn't it? 

* This post was originally written and posted by me in English. I'm not responsible for any translation mistakes that can occur with automagical translation. 

Thank you for visiting and reading! Take care.