1st Blog Anniversary

Hello everyone,

as you may know I usually post at Sundays but - today is a special day for me and this blog. Exactly one year ago, it was Sunday July 7, the first blog post was uploaded. So today I'm celebrating the 1st anniversary!

The year flew by really quickly. I managed to write 21 posts (without this one) - it may not sound a lot but in my opinion, quality is above quantity. I also got so many views, lovely comments and amazing followers from all over the world. It is hard to describe how excited and happy I get when someone writes a comment, gives me a feedback, likes my Facebook page or simply just reads the things I wrote. The feeling is priceless.

In honor of this day, a little giveaway will be going on. More details about the prize and how to participate will be posted this Sunday when I'll also share a new DIY recipe with you (hint - the glass jar on the picture above), get excited!
And I cannot end writing this post without...

A BIG thank you for reading and following Crayons and Beads!

I wish you a great start of the week,

Vanja

Cook with me: Bruschetta

“Always start out with a larger pot than what you think you need.” - Julia Child

Hello everyone,

have you ever been in a situation when you were home alone and hungry? When you didn't want to eat junk food or any kind of food out of the tin, but actually prepare yourself something delicious and healthy? That happened to me a few days ago. The fact is I like to eat clean (as much as possible) because this makes me feel better and look better (besides regular exercise). That's why I like to cook by myself - I know exactly which ingredient was used.
Now onto the dish I decided to share with you. It is called bruschetta, an Italian dish. But this is not the original recipe, it is modified a little bit. It is easy to make and no skills are required except you should know how to use an oven!

Ingredients (which I used):

cherry tomatoes

paprika/peppers

parsley

grilled chicken

olive oil

salt and pepper

slices of bread

cheese

(There are no numbers because the amount is not fixed.)

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C. 

2) Chop veggies and grilled chicken into small pieces, put them into a bowl, add a little bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix everything together.

3) Bake the slices of bread in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then take them out of the oven and cover them with the mixture and cheese. Put them back into the oven and bake for 5 minutes or more.

The other time, I added prosciutto instead of grilled chicken (picture here). Yum!

Keep in mind that you can add whatever ingredients you prefer! This versatile dish is perfect for experimenting with unknown flavors.

Good luck,

Vanja

Cook with me: Healthy banana pancakes

"I want pancakes! God, do you people understand every language except English? Yo quiero pancakes! Donnez-moi pancakes! Click click bloody click pancakes!" - Stewie Griffin

Hello everyone,

I don't know about you, but I love eating pancakes. Especially if they are healthy. I found the following recipe two months ago but didn't have time to try it out. The best thing about it is that there are only two ingredients required to make these healthy pancakes! And they taste very good. So why not share it?

Ingredients:

- 1 banana

- 1 egg

Method:

1) Mash the banana in a bowl, then add the egg and mix until you get a homogeneous consistency.

2) With a ladle, put a small amount of the mixture on a preheated pan (I didn't add any oil, butter or cooking spray) and bake on each side until it turns golden or even dark brown.

And why are these pancakes so healthy? Bananas contain fiber, minerals (potassium, manganese, magnesium), vitamins (B6 and C), and are very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Eggs are a great source of protein, minerals, vitamin B12 and healthy fats. Just the best for you.

Bon appétit!

Vanja

August Favorites

"Every year, August lashes out in volcanic fury, rising with the din of morning traffic, its great metallic wings smashing against the ground, heating the air with ever-increasing intensity." - Henry Rollins

Hello everyone,

another month has come to its end. Sadly, the month is called August which means summer will be also almost gone by. But... I'm going to wear shorts until September will be over, and I don't care about freezing my legs off in the morning time. It is still summer! If I didn't shock you with my previous sentences, please keep on reading and maybe you will learn something new about me.

1) What is the funniest thing that happened to you?
I had a lot of funny moments but I laughed so hard when I got an attack of laughter. It happens often, sometimes for no reason. And I cannot stop laughing for about 5 or even 10 minutes! Great exercise for the muscles, right?

2) Did you read any books?
I consider myself being a book worm so my answer is yes! I read Fifty shades of Grey (in Slovenian) and Fifty shades darker (in English). These books are pure addiction, trust me! I almost ate them because they were sooooo good! I needed only 7 days to finish both of them. I cannot wait to get my hands on the last part. You HAVE to read them, okay?

3) Did you watch any movies?
Actually, I remember only the one from last night, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Overall, I didn't have time to watch any movies due to studying.

(Source)

4) Something that made you proud of yourself?
This is a tough one... Maybe being able (especially mentally) to study during the hot summer time?

5) Did you play any games?
No.

6) Did you travel anywhere?
I was in our capital city Ljubljana for a few days, climbed on Šmarna gora (669 m), watched the swans at Zbiljsko jezero, visited my friend from Koroška and was on the top of Uršlja gora (1699 m)!

7) Which foods did you try and loved?

I tried the Rolled grilled cheese sandwiches. I had some troubles with rolling them because they would not obey me. I prepared them with my bf and we almost set the kitchen on fire thanks to the overheated pan. Anyway, they taste really good!

8) Which songs did you like?

Capital Cities - Safe and sound. Constantly on replay. When I hear it, I think about summer, holidays, driving to the seaside... Music to my ears.

9) Which products did you like?
Forever 21 earrings
Essie nourish me base coat
Fa Cream&Oil shower cream

10) What did you learn?
I learned about some "new" issues that I have with myself. And I was studying for my exam. That's learning too, isn't it?

I hope you enjoyed reading this post!

Have a nice week,

Vanja

Hair time: Fishtail half updo

"I don't consider myself bald, I'm just taller than my hair." - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Hello everyone,

today's post is dedicated especially to girls and women (sorry guys, nothing against you!) because it is a hair tutorial, as I promised in the previous post. I call it the fishtail half updo in which I also used my DIY hair bow. This hairstyle is so easy and fast to create, it took me only about 5 minutes. And it looks adorable! Interested? Keep on reading!

What you will need:
1) hair :)
2) bobby pins
3) hair bow or any other hair accessory

How to make it:
1) Take a smaller section of hair from the right side and start creating a fishtail braid:
     - divide that section into two sections,
     - take a tiny strand from the left section and put it to the right one, then take a tiny strand from the right section and put it to the left one,
     - repeat the previous line and continue braiding.
2) For best results, braid the hair right next to your head.
3) When you get to the middle of the back of the head, stop braiding and take one or two bobby pins to secure the braid in place.
4) Repeat step 1-3, this time on the left side.
5) Now you should have two little fishtail braids. To spice it up and hide the bobby pins, add a hair bow! (I think I failed this step...Kind of.)

Keep in mind that I'm not a pro. I did not make it perfect at all, my hair was freshly washed (and not fully dry) so it was not cooperating with me properly. I hope you will give it a try!

Have a nice day!

Vanja

DIY: Hair bow

“You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” - Maya Angelou

Hello everyone,

it's been a while ago since I've done a DIY (do it yourself) project so I decided to make a new one and write about it in this post. Today I will show you how to make a hair bow! I bet this is one of the easiest DIY's ever! No sewing required. Great, right? And you need only a few supplies. I wonder why I did not make myself some cute hair bows before...

Let's start!

What you will need:
1) some pieces of fabric (mine are the leftovers from the crop tops I made out of old shirts, tutorial HERE)
2) scissors
3) fabric glue (or glue for every material)
4) one or two heavy books

How to make it:
1) Take a piece of fabric, fold all four edges to create the shape of a rectangle and glue them to stay in place.
2) Put the rectangular fabric under a very heavy book (or two, like I did) for 10 to 15 minutes so the glue has time to dry a little bit.
3) Now take the fabric and fold it in the middle (as shown in the picture) to create the shape of a bow. Then, with the glue bond the folds and squeeze them together for a few minutes so the glue can dry.
4) From another piece of fabric, cut off a strip of fabric, put it around the center of the bow and of course, glue it.

5) Leave the bow to dry completely for a couple of hours.
6) To convert it into a hair bow:
     - take one or two bobby pins and put them through the strip of fabric on the back, or
     - take a larger hair clip and glue it on the back of the bow.

And you are done! You can make a ton of them, I know I will. Next time, I will show you how to use this cute little thing in a hairstyle. Now I have to get back to studying.

Happy Sunday!

Vanja

Tag: Beauty blogger tag

Hello everyone,

as you can tell from the title, I am going to do the beauty blogger tag even though I don't consider myself as a beauty blogger - I like to write about anything, beauty related stuff is not my thing at all. However, I was tagged by The ugly truth or sweet lies? (check her out!) to answer the questions written below. Why not? So let's start!

The rules:

1) Tag the creator of the tag - The Beau Bow

2) Tag some more beauty bloggers you want to do the tag

3) Title your post "The beauty blogger tag"

4) Answer the questions

And here are the questions:

1) Name the beauty routine you barely do!

Now you will laugh about me... I don't really have any makeup routine because I rarely use makeup except for special occasions. I just don't see the point of using makeup everyday. I am a strange kid, I admit.

2) Is washing your makeup brushes something you regularly do?

Since I don't use makeup everyday, my few makeup brushes that I have are chilling on the shelf all dusty. But I try to clean them once a month. Oh come on, nobody likes to do this!

3) How long will you last with chipped nail varnish?

It depends on the color of the nail polish. If it is a dark one, I will remove it immediately. In general, I can't stand chipped nail polish.

4) How long do you put off buying/replacing a beauty or nail polish product even if you need it (ie. top coat, foundation, etc.)?

I put off buying ANY stuff/thing/product if I don't have some extra money to spend. So, when money finally fills my wallet, I will get the oh-so-much-needed thingy.

5) What is your worst beauty habit?

I cannot remember of any bad habit right now, but when I was little, I was biting my poor nails like crazy. Fortunately, I got rid of this gross habit.

6) Name something non-beauty related you put off doing all the time?

I have to study pharmacology for my next exam and I need to start with it NOW.

7) When going out somewhere do you leave getting ready to the last minute or not?

Usually yes, except for special events I take my time to get ready.

8) Can you commit to spending bans?

Yes. I stand behind my words.

9) How organized is your makeup and nail polish collection?

Makeup collection? Hm... I don't really have one. The products are just lying around. The nail polishes are much more organized, I keep them in a clear plastic box.

10) What is the longest time you have gone without writing a blog post?

I always have a post up every Sunday so there is no longest time, sorry.

To continue, I tag:

Among Beauty Drawers

Anna.BeautyBlog

Sanja's Fashion World

And one more thing! Ana from With Love, Ana. is having an awesome summer giveaway on her blog, you should definitely check it out!

Till next Sunday,

Vanja

July Favorites

“We don't need to have just one favorite. We keep adding favorites. Our favorite book is always the book that speaks most directly to us at a particular stage in our lives. And our lives change. We have other favorites that give us what we most need at that particular time. But we never lose the old favorites. They're always with us. We just sort of accumulate them.” - Lloyd Alexander

Hello everyone,

I know that it is already August but July is not that far away, right? So I decided to write something about my "favorites" from the previous month. Just to warn you, this will be a little bit different from the favorites posts that other bloggers write - it is not just about cosmetics and beauty.
In the next lines, there are 10 questions which I took from a Youtuber named Marzia. I think they are quite interesting and different. Have fun reading my answers!

1) What is the funniest thing that happened to you?
This is a hard question. I'd go with my dog Blue because he is such a trouble-maker but in a good way! My little fellow always makes me smile.

2) Did you read any books?
Oh yes, I did! *jumping up and down* Besides the big, fat and heavy Textbook of Medical Physiology (which I needed to read a couple of times because of an exam) I read four other books: Kirurginja, Bes angelov, Pretrgana naveza in Čipke. Two weeks were enough for all of them. :)

(These books are pretty old as you can see.)

3) Did you watch any movies?
Of course, who does not watch movies? Last Monday, I went to the cinema with a good friend and we watched Grown ups 2 - our abdominal muscles were in pain!

(Source)

4) Something that made you proud of yourself?
I finished my 2nd year (or 4th semester) of studies! Studying medicine is not so hard, at least until now.

5) Did you play any games?
No. Games are not my thing.

6) Did you travel anywhere?
Is traveling to my boyfriend's house included? Not really, right? Unfortunately I have to say no... Hopefully I will go somewhere in August.

7) Which foods did you try and loved?
I tried a Japanese dish, I think it is called Yakisoba (or maybe Yakisuba?). The combination of noodles, vegetables, roast duch and soy sauce is delicious.

8) Which songs did you like?
OneRepublic - Counting stars
Billy Talent - Pins and needles
Nicci - The summer is magic

9) Which products did you like?
I picked one beauty and one fashion item that I liked the most:
Essie Mint Candy Apple nail polish
White high-waisted shorts

10) What did you learn?
That I need to be more honest with myself. Oh, and I learned a lot of physiology stuff, as mentioned before. :)

Have a nice start of August!

Vanja

Cook with me: Summer smoothie

"Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside." - Mark Twain

Hello everyone,

it is getting hotter day by day here in Slovenia. Perfect weather for going to the seaside. But, there is one problem - when the temperature rises, my appetite falls. It is hard to eat the same kind of food that we consume during wintertime, right? 

From my experience, the best thing to keep my stomach full for a while is a freshly prepared smoothie. It contains a lot of vitamins (which is super good for the body) and its taste is also delicious. This is why I decided to share with you my favorite smoothie recipe which I named the Summer smoothie - I bet you don't know why I named it like this!

Ingredients (for 2 smoothies):

5 to 8 ice cubes

2 cups of milk (regular, soy, coconut, almond, rice etc.)

1 banana

1 cup of raspberries (fresh or frozen)

1 tablespoon of oatmeal

Method:

Just mix all ingredients listed above in a blender for a minute or two and it is done! Serve in a glass jar and enjoy your creation.

(Donkey likes this smoothie too as you can see.)

What do you like to eat/drink during hot summer days?

Best wishes,

Vanja

The start: Why Crayons and Beads?

"Once you start working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest." - Chanakya

Hello everyone,

welcome to my blog Crayons and Beads. I had an idea about starting an own blog for months now but I did not have enough time to make it happen. I have been following many blogs that have truly inspired me and this has somehow pushed me to make the next step - to create it.
Finally, here I am. Writing my very first post.

Why the name Crayons and Beads?

A month ago, I watched a video on Youtube about how to start and maintain a good blog. It was said that the name must have a meaning and I totally agree. Choosing the name was a little bit difficult. So what did I do? I wrote down every thing or topic that I like and then I picked these two words and put them together - crayons and beads.

Crayons represent the colors - I would be so unhappy if only black and white existed, because I love colors so much! They make everything happier, including me.
Making bracelets is my love and passion. This is why I chose beads.

And who am I?

A girl named Vanja, from Slovenia (so excuse my English, it is not my first language), studying medicine and making bracelets when there is some time. I love the seaside and peaceful environments where I can relax my soul.

I plan on posting once a week every Sunday and I already have many ideas for the future posts. So stay tuned!
I hope you liked this first post, I tried not to write too much. I would love to see what you think of it. Please, leave a comment and share your thoughts!

Best wishes,

Vanja

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