Sofia Breathes Festival

Another term of my MBA program is now officially over...whew! I basically spent last week working during the day and studying/writing projects like crazy, taking an exam on Thursday, submitting a PR plan on Saturday and a Consumer Behavior Research Project plan on Sunday morning, at which point I was able to let out a big sigh and crash on a sun lounger in the yard for a lazy couple of hours of reading. Fortunately or unfortunately I placed my sun lounger next to the lavender plants, and then I noticed that there were weeds around them, so I ended up harvesting the flowers and pulling out the weeds for the next couple of hours. I now have a very fragrant bouquet on my dining table, even if I used up my last vestiges of energy to putter around in the garden. Still, it was a great change from sitting in front of the computer; I was able to enjoy the warm weather and the greenery.

One of the reasons I pushed myself so hard with all the projects and papers for school was also the fact that this Sunday was one of the Sofia Breathes festival days, and I usually really enjoy those. This time the festival was on Angel Kunchev Str. and it was supposed to be sort of book themed, although in the end there were only a couple of book stands and a ton of crafts/jewelry/home decor stuff on sale. The cool part was that I actually saw a ton of people I know at the event, and I also ended up sticking around for a book signing by Georgi Gospodinov, one of the current well-known Bulgarian writers. I think I was even filmed by one of the TV networks while I was at the signing because I was close to the author when they were interviewing him (and they asked some cliched questions, let me tell you).

So, check out some of the stuff that was being sold at the festival (which also made me think that I should set up a stand for my jewelry next time). Sorry about the phone photos, but I was too lazy to carry my camera :)


This stuff is really cool - they are wallets, bags and all kinds of other cool items made by Zona Urbana from laminated pages of old newspapers, maps, music sheets and what not. They rummage for these old communist newspapers with ridiculous propaganda titles and make these really fun accessories out of them. Not only that, but each one is pretty unique; even if there are a few copies of one issue of a paper, I doubt that you will be able to find two items that are exactly the same. Zona Urbana's store is actually on Angel Kunchev Str., so feel free to stop by.

This is also a very neat idea that I have actually seen before - you take pages from a book or somebody else's poetry and you make it your own by blacking out some words and leaving others, so that you get a completely new poem. I love it. It is kind of like the concept of altered books, and I really like the fact that you could take a work that has a certain meaning and mix it up until it has a completely different meaning, like adding layers.

On and this is just a door, but it was so nostalgically pretty, that I couldn't resist snapping a photo.

Very interesting light fixture

And an English book bazaar

Two of My Paintings Now Sold on Etsy

I just though I'd brag a little bit and write a nice self-congratulatory post about how I sold not one, but two of my abstract paintings via Etsy in the last month! While I was on vacation in the US I was pleasantly surprised by someone inquiring whether I ship to the USA, which eventually resulted in my first sale. My favorite work, Lilly Pond, was bought first, which I think is very cool. About a week after I made a second sale (of another of my favorite paintings - Lilac Blossom.) What is also cool about this second sale is the fact that it is bought as a wedding gift. I kind of like the idea of a couple enjoying my painting at the beginning of their official journey together!

Here they are, the paintings that I have sold...and more works are now available on my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/kosebose

Wanderlust

Six flights. Five time zones. One big three-and-a-half-week adventure.

Wanderlust.

Also defined as a "strong desire to travel", I'd like to think that I have some wanderlust in my heart. I'd like to think of myself as a good traveler, a person craving new experiences, a girl that likes the wind in her hair, and a woman that can rule any city.

The truth is that I'm not sure I'm all of those things, or maybe I am, but not entirely, or not all the time. I love traveling and the wonder that comes from seeing a breathtaking view for the first time, tasting a new treat, or dipping your toe in another sea, but I am also a homey girl that can enjoy staying in as well as going out, I like sleeping in my own bed, and I get tired of living out of a suitcase after a long stretch on the road. I love cooking and cuddling, and the comforting familiarity of a hometown, and I tend to try and make a place feel like home as soon as possible. I am a great temporary wanderer, just not a good long-term one.

After a long stretch of endless work and studying for my MBA (although both of those things are still going on) I both needed and craved a vacation that would let me get away from my daily routine, my computer, cell phone, and my worries. I got it. My American adventure of 2013 with three and a half blessed weeks of stress-free travel between Boston, Cape Cod, my Colby reunion in Maine, San Francisco, Napa, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, and London. I laughed, I spend time outside, I stayed in the sun, I spent time with my guy, I reconnected with old friends, and I truly relaxed for the first time in a long time. You could say it was the best thing that I could have done for myself, and during that time, I was a traveler. I just need to learn how to pack lighter :)

Stay tuned for more sights and stories from my trip, and enjoy some of the views now:

 

 

 

 

Hidden Corners

It turns out that there is a monastery in the neighborhood I live in, and it is a pretty nice one. It's barely even hidden, juts a tiny street off of the main road, but if you don't know that its there, you aren't very likely to just stumble upon it. I love finding hidden corners of a city, gems that you have to work for but that are oh so rewarding. We went there to light a candle on Easter day, and the cool shadows cast by the tall trees around the monastery buildings provided a nice spot to relax. Lately I've been craving the outside, or perhaps I've just been craving the peacefulness of nature on a beautiful day, like that special silence that is not really silence at all because there are leaves rustling and bees buzzing and birds chirping, but it feels like silence because it relaxes your mind. 

I forgot my camera at home, so I actually Instagrammed these photos with my phone. My HTC's camera is not bad, but it's not that amazing either; still, you can get a sense of the atmosphere.

Every day I tell myself that I will try to go out more, to meet more people, to worry less, to be less stressed by work, and yet I don't think I'm very successful. Everything feels like endless work, even this short holiday that we've had (although the phone not ringing alone was simply divine). My parents helped me a lot with the garden, though, and I do believe that in a few more years it will be a real paradise. I have sun loungers, and I hope that I can put them to good use this summer. Perhaps I'll try to study outside for a change.

I can't wait for my summer vacation. Boy have I earned it, and I hope that it is all I hope it would be.

Spring Reflections

There is a quote by Pablo Neruda that goes "I want to do to you what the spring does to the cherry tree." I have always thought that this was one of the most romantic things I have ever heard. It's the fact that someone loves you enough to want to help make your dreams come true, make you bloom. Spring is such a wonderful season of renewal, growth and hope.

And this year I feel like I'm missing it. I've been waiting for spring to come, and somehow I feel like I've missed its arrival, and I will wake up one day and it would have come and gone, and I would have had no time to see it. For various reasons, I haven't been able to go out much, and it's been bothering me, more than I though it would. I am also itching to go out with my camera. So far I have mostly snapped a few shots from around my house; it's still something, I guess.

I hate how I have become a complainer. I try not to do it, but I guess I'm just tired. My mom gets annoyed with me a lot whenever I tell her anything that would hint at me being tired or a bit sad. She keeps scolding me, saying that I have nothing to complain about when compared to other people, and that I am being over-dramatic. That just makes me sadder. I don't know how to explain to people that I am just really deeply tired. I work hard, and often my work day goes beyond my official work hours, and after I go home, I usually study, and then go to bed. That's my usual schedule, apart from a dance class here and there, and perhaps lunch with friends once in a few weeks or the occasional play. And while I'm doing that, I feel like people are living their lives, actually living them - being outside, having fun, going to the movies, partying in clubs, traveling during the weekend. I just don't want to miss out on life, and right at this moment, it feels that way.

I do know that I am lucky in many ways; I have not been saddled with debt, I own my home, I have a job, I am pretty healthy, I am in a good relationship. I am deeply grateful to fate that I have been gifted with these blessings, but sometimes, after an exhausting work and study stretch, I still feel cranky. I guess that this master's degree is turning out to be way more of a challenge than I expected when coupled with my job. It's not that I find the act of studying or the material itself hard. It is that I find the lack of any free time hard when out of seven days I can barely scrape half a day to myself or to spend with the people I love. I am at the final stretch, and I am trying not to get discouraged. Clearly, I am not always successful :)

To those who read this blog (even though you are not that many) sorry for all the whining. I promise a happier topic next time. Maybe I should write post about the 10 great things about working towards an MBA degree. It might help me stay positive :)

Rainy Afternoon and Homemade Popovers

After the beautiful weather that we had yesterday, it's been pouring down rain all day today. It's the kind of day where you are better off staying inside and cuddling with a warm blanket and a book, or perhaps seeing a friend over tea and treats.

Back when I was graduating from Colby, I went to Acadia National Park with my parents. We spent a couple of days on Mount Desert Island touring Bar Harbor and Acadia, and it was gorgeous. I remember we were almost done with our tour of the park and we were about to head to Jordan Pond House when it started raining cats and dogs, so we hid inside and enjoyed some lobster stew and popovers with tea. Everything was so delicious, and it was nice to enjoy the rainy afternoon in such a cozy and pretty place.

So this morning when I saw the rain I thought back to that afternoon in Acadia National Park and decided to try and make some popovers. I used a recipe on marthastewart.com, which turned out pretty great. Check it out here. It is for about a dozen popovers, which is quite a lot for me, but they are truly delicious. I had them with butter and French apricot jam, as well as with my homemade quince jam. Yummy!

Kaleidoscope Heart Original Painting: Coming Soon to My Etsy Shop

Here is a sneak peak at an original oil abstract painting called Kaleidoscope Heart that is coming soon to my Etsy shop. It is very much a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors that is fiery and unique.

Check out my store here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/kosebose