Showing posts with label Moscow. Show all posts

OCTOBER What To Wear in FLORIDA

I made this for my friend who lives in NYC. We laughed about the winter season and the cold, dreary weather that will soon be afflicting her there in NYC. We also talked about making plans for her to visit me here in Florida. Fall & Winter is the best time to come and enjoy Florida! The weather and opportunity to be outside without the oppressive humidity is just perfect! She asked me what to bring - I just could not resist to make this welcoming poster for her :)

Lanasartstudio.blogspot.com

Also, I added more to my Etsy stores this week...so please stop in and see more of my new original watercolors and floral abstracts.

GIVEAWAY

This is a giveaway for any of colorful prints made by me for my print shop!

i love all things colorful + abstract

+ now i have these!:) travel wanderlust

just leave your name + (email or shop name or blog ) in the comments section below to enter!

+ your name will be counted 2X i will randomly pick a name next weekend + announce the winner on next monday's blog post ! in the meantime + all the time, more prints can be found here

Also, there will be one more other giveaway in the next month...just would like to give thanks for all the blessings I had this year and if you like my art you can pick any items and I will make a special print just for you!

Good Luck!

with much love

xx, Lana

Comments are closed and the winner is Kim! Thank you for cooperation and I will be doing it every month, so stay tuned!

Traveling Abroad Tips

Traveling abroad can be one of the most amazing experiences to add to your life’s resume, but in order to make the most out of what can be a most life-changing experience, attention to details and pre-planning must take place.

With that said, before even hopping on the plane or train, let’s take a look at all that needs to be tended to before you walk out the door:

Currency is a new app that beautifully and simply helps you make quick currency conversions while you’re traveling. I love this! It’s a great way to avoid the stress of international purchases. Or is that just me that gets totally stressed out when checking out in a foreign language with foreign currency?

Here’s a little video that shows more about it: http://vimeo.com/63844761

Do you use Currency already? Or maybe you’re just a whiz at quickly calculating exchange rates. :) Do you have any other favorite apps for traveling? I love new Google Maps!

Valid Passport – make sure your passport is current (US passports typically expire every 10 years – renewal currently is $115) or if you don’t have a passport make sure to apply for one six months in advance (often turn around is 2-3 months, but don’t take the risk). Also, if you're passport is set to expire in six months, be sure to have it renewed before traveling as some countries will not allow you to board if this is the case. Also, to travel some countries like to Russia you must have a visa! You need to apply for it! ( if you need more information about how/where/and what please don't hesitate to ask me).

Contact Your Bank & Credit Card Company

Based on which cards you will be using, call that institution and let them know you will be traveling (when and where) so that they don’t report your card stolen when a purchase pops up for tickets to see a ballet in the theater "Bolshoi" in Moscow for example:)
Ask about all possible fees (ATM, general card use, etc) so that you can calculate that into your budget and plan how many withdrawals you will want to make.
Choose what works best for you!

What pre-planning musts would you add to the list?

Please, do share....xx, Lana

Moscow - Love/Hate Relationship - Part Two

Part 2: You know you’re in Moscow when…

....People also seem quite happy to sit, relax, and enjoy each other's company on a more personal/intimate level:

Lana's Art Studio

…there is a deep admiration for luxury brands – conspicuous consumption is very prevalent.

Lana's Art Studio

…even in the red "brick" square you see impossibly high stiletto heels finishing off the infinitely long legs of impossibly beautiful, blue-eyed, blonde and brunette, model-esque Slavic women (look closely, see how skinny the heels are).

You know you’re in Moscow when…

…the skyline is a mix of steaming power station chimneys and beautiful multi-coloured onion-domed churches.

Russian Churches

…no-one is running down escalators to catch the next train – not so much because the escalators are very deep (although they are), but because trains come along every minute, so no need to rush. People also seem quite content to sit, relax and read their papers in the beautiful marble hallways before

boarding their train.

…taxis include private cars that are flagged down beside the road, with fare and route negotiated on the spot.

…moody-looking men in leather jackets are holding meetings in hotel lobbies.

Hotel Sovetksii

…the neo-20s buildings are larger and more beautiful than you’d expect, whilst the military and Soviet era statues are even more over-the-top than you’d expect.

statures in red square

…you can buy vodka in the ‘alcohol corner’ of a butcher’s shop, and it’s quite common to see well-dressed young men and women drinking from brown paper bags.

…borscht, dill and cream are on daily menus, as is mushroom soup, although pizza is now just as ubiquitous.

I would like to sharing some of my favorite recipes I found from pinterest here:

jennasaisquois.blogspot.com

Borscht – Beetroot Soup from Green Kitchen Stories:

2 tbsp ghee or cold pressed olive oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 lbs / 500 g raw beetroots, any color, coarsely grated
4 cups / 1 l vegetable broth
2 bay leafs
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Horseradish Yogurt
4 tsp freshly grated horseradish, or more to taste
1/2 cup / 120 ml plain yogurt

Heat ghee in a large saucepan on medium heat, add mustard and cumin seeds and stir constantly to prevent from burning. Fry until fragrant. Then add onion and fry until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the grated beetroot, vegetable broth and bay leafs. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and let simmer for 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the Horseradish Yogurt by combining both ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Add apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper to the beetroot soup and let simmer for another minute or so. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve in bowls with a dollop of Horseradish Yogurt.

greenkitchenstories.com

This is from Oliver Magazine - beautiful photography of Russian food by A. Montgomery:

Russian Salad

You can make this authentic Russian potatoe salad called “Olivie” and it is delicious! If you love shrimp or chicken, you’re going to love this dish! And it’s so easy that if you can buy some pickles, a can of peas, boil 6 eggs, peel a few potatoes and cut up some carrots…..your friends will think you’ve become a master chef! Here is original post on russian cuisine!

So, the true Soviet version of salad Olivier includes the following basic 5 ingredients:

hard boiled eggs, diced
boiled sausage, diced (or use dised canadian bacon)
boiled potatoes (usually boiled with peels, my Mom also boils carrots in peels, and then the peels are removed), diced
marinated (or fresh) cucumbers (usually home-made freshly salted , from home-grown cucumbers), diced
canned green peas, whole
green onion, diced

Dice everything, except for peas=), season to taste … and add loads of mayonnaise, the amount depends on your decency (which can also be ‘lightened’ with sour cream or greek yogurt)
Enjoy! Let me know if you tried this and what is your opinion on it)

Have a great week!

This is it for now! Stay with me and do more recipes, stories, hotel tips, and more in my part 3 of Russian trip next week,

xx, Lana

Moscow: Love/Hate Relationship...

Moscow - A Love/Hate Relationship ....

- crowded, dirty, smelly, polluted, and expensive.

Moscow - architecturally beautiful, rich, magnificent, lively, historical, colourful....

Take your pick, it's got it all.

Having experienced the flip side of both coins this week, give me rural any time. In my life I have visited Moscow a few dozen times. I use to live in Moscow for some period of time as well. My grandma was from Moscow and everyone from my fathers side of family as well. But this is is a different story.... I first visited Moscow in my teens, some ... years ago. It's a different city than it was then, or maybe I'm just different. Whatever the reason, it has lost it's allure for me. I would not be sad if this were my last. I love Russia don't get me wrong, but noise, crime, all the smells melding together .... like any big metropolitan city.

My husband would like to spend a month here and after one week of FABULOUS romps around town, I decided it is a city to visit, not live in for long time. A week is plenty of time for me.

red square view

being silly at mall

Happy Birthday

Art display at foyer

Dior - Red Square 60s

Moscow is also a wonderful place to visit for a certain time, to soak up the MAGIC (whatever that may be for each person) but country living, that's for me too!

xx, Lana