Recently I discovered great casual wear brand Afunguard from Poland which features simple cut but perfectly (and ethically) made comfortable pieces which can be worn as part of business or casual look on so many ways. 
Different then fast fashion brands you can wear Afunguard items for years as they are very well made out of great quality fabrications.
Afunguard is independent designer brand from Poland lead by Marta Hernandez which aspires is to be a global brand which creates casual women’s clothing by merging timeless aesthetics, high quality fabrics, affordable prices and product value.

Graphic Print Tunic Blouse



I love how versatile this top is! This blouse can be worn as a tunic over a swimsuit while lounging with sleeves 3/4 buttoned up, over jeans or tights as a tunic top or with a pencil skirt for work. Virtually, you can wear it year around.

Loose fit white button up mid way tunic with black flower print. Works great as a tunic for work or as part of casual outfit. Sleeves can be buttoned up 3/4.


Short Navy Cotton Suite


Since I have started working in fashion I try to avoid wearing classic office suite. I could not resist this Afunguard 'Summer suit' made out of soft navy cotton which makes it so easy to wear separately shorts paired with a t-shirt and sneakers as part of casual outfit for a weekend stroll in town or worn together with a blazer jacket as a light Summer suit. For a coffee with local designer I wore this Summer suit with gorgeous Miss Julie necklace.


If you to love to have really versatile pieces in your closet I promise you will get a lot of wears out of these Afunguard looks!

Photos: Goran Čižmešija. 
Styling: Mimi Krtinić Rončević.  
Models: Antonia K., Leonarda Z - Taliamodela, Monika G. - Midikena, Anja Š. - Sonic models. 
Hair: Ivan Pervan, Terezija Duranović, Ivica Palinić,Antonia Krstanović. 
Make Up: Kasandra Draganić and Mirta Pejić.

Even though Croatian government doesn't really support enormous young fashion design talent in Croatia there are some media and enthusiasts who now for years provide creative outlet and directions to young designers, the most experiences of them is for sure fashion portal moda.hr.

For more then 6 years now, twice a year   Moda.hr portal issues a seasonal lookbook featuring Croatian fashion designers and up and coming fashion brands. The first such lookbook was issues back in 2009 when very few local media gave little or no space in their outlets to young talents.

MAK

Stolnik

Petra

Đina Grbin

Hero4Heroes

Matija Vujica

Elfs

The main idea is to feature a signature look for each collection put together in one big fashion story. Due to high demand and interest in local fashion design, these lookbooks became a tradition in local fashion industry.

Designers love to participate in this project as it allows them to present their signature look to wide audience of new potential clients and it also provides them with logistics which they alone cannot always organize on time especially with ever increasing pressure created by fast fashion brands of launching more and more collections each year.



In our first lookbook we had 8 designers participating, this season we had 35. These number are truly impressive for such a small country and they also show the trust designers have in our work."

Lucija BiondićModa.hr editor in chief


See full  lookbook here.
Who is your favorite Croatian designer? :)

In our house we love to try different cuisine so we daily combine ingredients which are not necessarily the foods we grew up on. Mostly, we look for quick, easy but most importantly fresh and healthy ingredients and dishes. 

This easy coconut chicken stir fry has enough of protein and fiber (when made with right rice and veggies) to make a complete healthy meal, I just made it today again and my boyfriend loved it! It takes about 35 minutes to make in total and it's absolutely delicious. 

INGREDIENTS


0.5 kg chicken breasts cut into long small pieces
1 tablespoon of coconut or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 teaspoon grated ginger root ( I used powdered ginger cause I didn't have fresh)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 can (about 14 oz) coconut milk
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 medium green/red or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves (I used dry basil)
3 tablespoons of tomato sauce

Optional: 
1 jalapeño chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup sugar snap pea pods
1 medium zucchini (or broccoli)
1medium yellow onion 

Side dish:
1.5 cup hot cooked jasmine or integral rice


DIRECTIONS


1. Cut chicken breasts into thin bite size pieces and cut vegetables into thin long pieces (so they soften up quicker). 
2. Heat coconut oil or vegetable oil in a wok pan or skillet, add chicken and fry it for 2-3 minutes until chicken is no longer pink inside. Add ginger root, lime or lemon peel, cilantro and optionally chillies and stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes over medium heat.
3. Pour coconut milk over chicken. Stir in brown sugar, salt, soy sauce and vegetables and fry uncovered on medium heat for 3-5 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato sauce. Top with basil and serve with rice! 


Bon Appetite ladies! 
Let me know how you like it if you try it!
This year different then all of the previous I am looking for one piece swimsuit to strategically cover some parts of the body which I am still working on post pregnancy. Just the thought of having to wear one got me thinking....great...I will be looking like one of the old ladies on the beach and having all those ridiculous tan lines. After careful research, I beg to differ with my prejudice of one pieces being 50+ only.
While looking for one I researched most shops who ship globally and I only considered those under 350 USD/cc 200 Euro price point. Also, since I am quite tall and now after pregnancy I still have some extra boobage, I definitely need to consider going size up or search for Tall Size pieces so they don't squoosh my breasts. 

SWIMSUITS UNDER 50 EURO

White Laser Cut Bohoo Swimsuit 28.99 Euro

Yellow Deep V-Cut Swimsuit 18.99 Euro (available in more colors)

White Tie Up Swimsuit 44.99 Euro
Mix & Match White South Beach Swimsuit 30.99 Euro

TALL SIZE & EXTRA BOOBAGE SWIMSUITS


                                            Purple Deep V-Cut Swimsuit (TALL) 18.99 Euro
Silver Wolf & Whistle Swimsuit 39.99 Euro

DESIGNER CHOICES

On top of really affordable pieces Asos offers some unique designer pieces. My favorite ones are by Lee + Lani, even though expensive, definitely most unique and definitely a piece you will be wearing for many Summers. 
Blue Night Snake Print Swimsuit 183.99 Euro
Lee + Lani Starry Night Swimsuit 318.99 Euro


I personally ordered two of the swimsuits from this post, naturally the purple tall size one :) but I also went for Blue Life Tie Up. 
What are your favorites? 
Hot or not? :)
Photo source: Gary Pepper

Large trendy floppy sun hats with sequin embroidery are every fashionista's must have this Summer. 
Along with inflatable flamingos in pink, gold or white, a fabulous one piece swimsuit and a assortment of pom-poms here and there embellishing your beach bag or sandals, large embroidered sun hat with a writing stating you are on vacation is an absolute must have for fabulous beach goers. 

EUGENIA KIM EMBROIDERED SUN HATS



Inspired by designer Eugenia Kim's designer piece with price point of $485 many artisan designers, hat makers and boutique stores have made their own, more affordable versions of this hat and some even offer customization in color and writing.


MORE AFFORDABLE OPTIONS


I did a little research through various sites and social media shops and read through ratings and weeded out a couple of great options to consider.   

If you are looking for a hat that is the closest to Eugenia Kim's and you live in US you might consider   White Elephant Designs, a shop which offers a version of 'Out of Office' floppy hat with price point of $89 and pom pom ribbon.

Fast fashion online shop   ASOS also has a great offer of floppy sun hats with and without embroidered writing on price points from 6 Euro to 90 Euros. Great thing about Asos is that they ship fast and they ship worldwide.

Shop floppy hats:





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CUSTOMIZE YOUR OWN FLOPPY SUN HAT


Instagram shop   Bits & Pieces ships worldwide and sells similar sun hats for $90 with shipping included with option to customize your own text on the hat within this price. You may choose among different hat colors but they have only one style. Payment is done through Paypal and order is made via Instagram message. 

ETSY features several artesian designers who offer embroidered or sowed in initials on hats of various colors and sizes. The price points are from $17 to $70 but most do not ship out side of US.


I hope you find a perfect hat for yourself this Summer ladies! 

Not only does it make you look mysterious, classy and fabulous 
but it also protects the skin of your face and neck from direct sunlight.

XoXo


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As a working (new) mom and a professional athletes girlfriend I am trying super hard to cook healthy meals three times a day for my family, especially now when I am attempting to get back to my pre-baby weight. However, with regular daily chores, working from home office part time and taking care of the new baby I do not have time to juice daily.

At our house we have a rule to order food delivery or ear out max. once a week although since we have Anabela we do more ordering then going out. When we do order, we order our food via   Resto-In mobile app.


RESTO-IN


Resto-In is a delivery service available in multiple major cities in Europe (Paris, London, Madrid, Berlin, Brussels, Hamburg, Lyon, Barcelona) through which you can order food or other services (flower delivery, pharmacy delivery etc.) from various local business. The order can be made via   Resto-In mobile application or via   Resto-In website and they mostly arrive in less then 45 minutes. You can follow your delivery using real-time GPS tracking via Resto-In app from the restaurant  kitchen to your door.

  ________________

All of you can also try Resto-In service with promo code LAKATWALK10  at checkout to get 10 Euro discount to your order. This promo code is valid until July 13th in Madrid and Barcelona once for each email account.

_________________

PRESS & RESET


Although I am trying to prepare homemade cold press juices for my boyfriend and I every week at least once, I don't have time to do it daily. When I am taking a walk with Anabela I often stop by Illa Shopping Mall here in Barcelona where I have  Press&Reset stand with fresh cold press juices (which actually taste really good! :)). Of course, they are professionals so they mix much more fresh ingredients within their juices and dose it differently then I do. 


For this post I tested   Press & Reset Detox package including: 

– Black Lemonade
– Low Green
– Balance
– Energy Fit
– Shine
– Green Fit
– Almond Milk

My favorites are Green Fit (spinach, banana, dates and almond milk) and Shine (ginger, carrot, apple). I usually drink Green Fit after workout and Energy Fit before workout.


Recently I also noticed that many members of my local gym DiR also drink Press&Reset juices. 

I hope you guys also give it a try with a discount code from my blog! :)
P.S. You can also use discount code for any other delivery service on Resto-In.

XoXo


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Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, November 2009.



1. Carrying your baby in your arms or in a carrier ALL THE TIME.

I still do carry Anabela a lot but a lot less then during first 3 months cause now it hurts my back more because she is getting heavier. The result of my  'loving effort' are my super sore back, painful shoulders and a baby who refuses to be let out of my arms. Seriously, I even took her with me to the bathroom cause I felt bed to wake her up. 

Rest assured, your baby will not end up becoming a serial killer or psychotic animal torturer due to lack of love and skin to skin contact if you don't carry it in your arms 24/7. Plus, you will not walk  around with a hunchback like me after having a baby for only 4 months.

2. Spending to much time on mommy forums and Facebook groups.

In the first three months I spent most of my time in between nightly feedings googling random things my baby did to see if it's normal. During that time I google-diagnosed about 10 different conditions and illnesses instead of SLEEPING. 

After reading comments of (not always) Know It All Mom, Dr. Mom, Organic Everything Hippy Mom, Mrs.Perfect Mom, I'm Just Commenting to Brag About My Perfect Baby Mom ...... the only thing I became was a More and More Confused Mom. 

Most of the questions on the forums start with something like: "My baby is crying a lot and I am worried that something might be wrong" or "My baby has a fever/something on her skin"and then there are all of these comments bellow and I just wanna type "Call Your Damn Pediatrician Women!" I mean, the right answer could be anything from the baby pooped to a serious illness or physical condition.

I am all for supportive mommy communities and indeed there are many, but when it comes to your baby's health - DO NOT google it first. All least that's my opinion.

Never, ever do the lights go off with me thinking “I did it all, I have it all”…
can I ever? I don’t think so…this is the struggle of a career mom.

Susan Hang via  Zanita

3. Taking your baby out of the crib into your arms when it wakes up at night.

After a first two months I learned (the hard way) to help Anabela get back to sleep when she wakes up during the night (she sleeps in her crib but in my bedroom) without taking her in my arms and out of the crib. 

Anabela sleeps on her belly in the sleeping bag with a pacifier. She usually wakes up if she looses her pacifier, if her hands move or if she is to hot. I learned that if I take her out of the crib I completely wake her up and then it takes much more time for her to get back to sleep, while if I leave her in, give her back her pacifier, give her my finger to hold so she can feel my skin and gently shake cradle or tap her butt she falls back to sleep quicker. 

Of course, if she doesn't go back to sleep, she might be hungry and then you need to feed her. 
When I feed Anabela during the night I do it with very dimmed lights and without talking to her because I don't want to animate her. I feed her, burp her and put her back to the crib. I also do not change her during the night. 

4. Not trying the same thing to calm your baby more then once.

If you would like your baby to take a pacifier to calm down easier when fussy, be persistent. At first I tried different calming tools and techniques only once and said, she doesn't want it, she hates it and I just gave up on it. 

Later, I realized for Anabela no doesn't always mean no for good, it just means not now. I got several different pacifiers and realized she likes the soothing silicon one best when she is really fussy and crying a lot while she prefers normal pacifiers during night as it's easier for her to turn her head with them staying in her mouth.

Also, when I want Anabela to take a nap during the day, I tried to put her in the crib once and she started screaming so since then I always tried to cradle her to sleep in my arms and then place her in the crib when already asleep. This sometimes took hours. 

One day my boyfriend decided to try to take the crib into Anabela's room during the day. He closed the shades, turned on the white noise and put her into the crib on her stomach right after she yawned after burping and gave her his finger to hold until she falls asleep, it worked. Now she sleeps a bit longer during the day which she never did during first two months.

5. Thinking it will still somewhat be a business as usual.

I know, naively I thought and still mostly do think I could can do some work with a small baby at home since I am anyways working out of home office. The truth is, even if you have an equal partner in your fabulously helpful boyfriend like I do and if you get a babysitter here and there it's extremely hard to find time to work efficiently along with doing regular house chores and cooking. 

This kind of thinking results with what I call a double-face guilt. You feel guilty if you work and have someone stay with your baby for long hours and you feel guilty for not doing anything for your job (especially if you were a high tempo multitasker like me). 

 "Recent studies, conducted by Harvard Business School and the Wharton School, conclude that working women today are neither leaning in nor leaning out. 
Instead, they’re choosing to lean sideways."

Patricia Garcia for  Vogue.com


I still don't have this completely figured out and can't honestly say I am fully in peace with balance I currently gave but I am trying hard to find a healthy balance in between the two with main focus being on and majority of time being dedicated to Anabela. 

The reality is, these days I am lucky if I have time to shower and wash my hair for longer then 5min or eat seated with my boyfriend.

The way I see it. There is time for everything in your life. You are indeed more peaceful if you yourself plan it. I had some time to build my carrier and focus on it 100% and now it's time to turn my complete focus on Anabela while maintaining what I build so far until she gets on her feet and starts going to kinder garden. 


What do you say? Anything to add to my ever growing list?
Do share!


XoXo


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Loré   is meant to be a fable about beauty and uniqueness of Hispanic America with its vibrant colors, rustic textiles and rich heritage. We believe in tradition combined with modern cuts showing that a crossover can have amazing effects in textile design. Loré collections are limited one piece designs using ethnic motives in a way as innovative as any contemporary pattern, creating creative and vivid textures.

Designer Loreta Gudelj behind the brand Loré launched her Spring/Summer 2016 titled "Beyond nature".



The campaign for this collection is work of photographer Franjom Matkovićem and painter slikaricom Matejom Babić, The collection is inspired by locations in Bolivia like: Salar de Uyuni, Laguna Colorada and Desierto de Siloli. The collection pieces are inspired by motifs of nature while color pallet and handmade needlework is reminiscence of Bolivan traditional attire.  

UNIQUE FABRICATIONS


Fabrics used are linen, silk and lace while a part of collection is made using handmade venetian, lepoglavian and idrilian lace which makes each piece one of a kind. Fabrics for this Loré collection is made by award winning weaver Ivna Matičec. Each collection piece is made very precisely as it took several weeks to create specific stitching used. 







ACCESSORY

Jewelry for Loré collection is made in collaboration with artist Marina Marinski. While styling was completed with  Loré clutches made out of handmade fabrics and leather. 





These handmade, unique pieces do not come at small price, a lace dress price is from 600 Euro.


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