Monday, June 22, 2015

The Best


You guys! Thank you for your such wonderful, heartfelt comments on my book publishing news. You guys are simply the best! Of course, I am very thrilled, and as you can imagine, my mind is quite preoccupied these days. I left the "book thoughts" only for a little while to enjoy the Father's Day weekend with Justin, the World Greatest Dad ("and Husband", added Anya), and we had such a wonderful, relaxing weekend. Other than that and Anya starting a month long theater camp (read: I started a month long driving there and back, twice a day camp), I am focused on my writing. I tend to be extremely focused when I work on something that matters to me a lot, so no wonder, blogging takes a back seat for a while. I don't know how frequently I will be able to comment, please do not take it personally - and know that I treasure you VERY MUCH. :)


It would be premature-ish to tell you all the details about the book, but a couple of things I will share. First of all, you don't even know how happy I am to have your support. You guys actually want to read my book? Pre-order it?! Yay!!! But I have to tell you, it's not really "a commission", nobody showed up with a big fat check in front of my door, not yet at least, but! I was offered an opportunity to have my writing published and get a little compensation from book sales. If that doesn't work out, I am quite content with self-publishing (print on demand). Justin and I have been considering this option for a while now, and long before this offer came along, I decided that 2015 would be the year when I publish my first book. As you know, I write in two languages, and I've been working on a bilingual project with my brother. But when this teasing and unexpected publishing opportunity came along, I started thinking about publishing a few things that I have written in Russian. So, I'm talking about two different projects here (at least) - one bilingual, in collaboration with my talented artist brother, and another one, either stories written in Russian-only, or with some stories written in English. I haven't decided on that yet - I will keep you posted. Either way, it's good stuff. I feel like my life is just about to begin (again!).


In other news, stunning Elsie of the exotic and yummy blog The Cooking Wardrobe nominated me a Liebster Award, which is such an honor. As Elsie states in her post, the Liebster Award is given to "new bloggers to help them grow their following by introducing them to other bloggers and followers. "Liebster" is a German word which means "beloved, sweetheart or darling". The nominee is required to answer the questions asked by the person who nominated them, and then nominate eleven other up and coming bloggers." So let's have some fun with the questions!

Joni of the blog Artful Closet gave me this beautiful and unusual fabric necklace as a gift when we had a very heartfelt meet-up about a month ago (post here). Joni said she bought it on Etsy.

1. Are you a morning person?
Not even a bit! 
I'm a night owl, since early childhood. 
My father says I never wanted to stop playing to go to bed. I still don't!

2. What's your best form of exercise?
Walking and swimming.

3. What's your favorite food?
That's an impossible question to answer. 
I'm a foodie! I love it all! Well, almost all... OK, I'll pick seafood.

I just wanted to make sure you see the beautiful texture-like print - isn't it gorgeous? 
The jasper ring echoes the texture...

4. Are you a dog or cat person?
I am a cat person through and through.

5. What is an item you cannot live without?
My computer, decidedly. 

6. What is the best advice you've been given?
Let go.

I don't know the name of these fantastic flowers, but they seem to be everywhere around here - along the Ruston Way in Tacoma, and in our little neighborhood too...

7. What is your dream vacation?
I'll take any vacation - it's all a dream, it's like picking my favorite food... San Francisco, England, Prague, Hawaii, Australia - I'll go almost anywhere, any day.

8. Do you plan to fight aging or age gracefully?
I'm kind of already aging, without a plan, if you know what I mean. :)


 9. Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging for the very first time in 2002 - pretty much by an accident, and I just loved it - it is definitely my genre. I have blogged on and off ever since then. This particular blog started as my way of re-introducing style into my life, embracing my love of writing, but with a twist - in a new to me language (I did not write in English much before this blog). I think ultimately, it's a deep desire to connect, to feel heard, understood and appreciated.

10. Introvert or Extrovert?
A mix of both, pretty much 50/50.

11. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Living, loving, writing, publishing books, traveling. 



I guess now I have to address my questions to 11 "new-ish" bloggers. It's hard to pick, and not everyone wants to play, and I am not aware who is "new" especially, so I will just name a few bloggers, but please, if you like my questions (at the end of this post) and want to play - consider yourself awarded and just grab these questions and play!

Joni of Artful Closet
Jill of Grownup Glamour
I still don't know your name, lovely friend of Happy After Blog
Sandra of Peaches McGinty
Olga of Local Fashion
Jazzy Jack of Natural Medley (only when and if you feel inspired!)


And here are my questions to you:

1. Favorite color of the rainbow.
2. Favorite time of day.
3. Three favorite things to do when you don't have to do anything.
4. Three favorite TV shows.
5. What was your biggest childhood dream?
6. What's more inspiring - being in the mountains or by the sea?
7. In a difficult situation, who is your hero? (Do you ever think "What would ... do?")
8. If you only had to choose one book to bring with you to a desert isle, what would it be? 
9. First thing you do in the morning is ... (OK, of non-embarrassing things :) ) 
10. Are you a ritual person or a spontaneous person?
11. If you had to describe the meaning of life in just one word, it would be ...

Have fun with the questions!

My outfit:
Necklace - gift from Joni
Shoes - Ecco
pretty much everything else is from Chico's, different years
You might have seen the dress in my earlier post Matryoshka (March 2015)

***


20 comments:

  1. wonderful earthy but elegant outfit!!! i love me a good tribal print, and combined with "simple" accessoires like you did it´s a gorgeous summer look!
    i even would buy your book in russian although i forgot almost everything about that language but i know someone who can read - and speak - russian. but english would be fine for me - until your books come out in germany well translated :-)
    of cause i miss you a bit but i can i totally understand your priorities - to work on and with your writing for publishing must be number one now!
    thanks for nominating!
    tons of hugses!
    xxxxxx

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  2. You look amazing Natalia. Wonderfull Summer look. I would have a book in english with Autogramm. Oh my english is so bad.
    If your book is a Bestseller worldwide i wish a german Version please :)
    Have a nice day, xoxo Tina

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  3. I will play though I'm going to need to do some thinking on a few and post tonight. I'm still in awe of your publishing news. That is a lot of projects to juggle but you're the woman for it.

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  4. A book! OMG, that is pretty big. Good luck Natalia. o)

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  5. Good luck with your writing, Natalia! Great dress, by the way, and the necklace is such an interesting piece. Your answer to the question about aging made me laugh, yeah, we already aging without any plan :) Thanks for nominating, interesting questions you chose to ask.

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  6. I love this dress and denim vest and it's earthy boho vibe. I would wear a variation of this outfit and I would answer those elven questions almost identically to yours. Now that I have two nominations I have a lot of questions to answer-lol. Oh oh!
    So happy for your book plans and your exciting plans to focus so much on your writing. Increasing my own focus on my writing is what has lead to my own struggles with reading and commenting on blogs. I intend to self publish eventually, though I have not given myself a deadline of 2015. Will the writer's link up support your endeavors or do you need to set that aside for awhile? xoxo

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    Replies
    1. Shawna, thank you! Write and Link is going to be there as long as there is interest! I am very much up to doing it. It actually helps me - I started writing more thanks to it. My June story was written in May. :) Though, why not write two, three, four stories... :)) If we stick with Write and Link, I see an anthology in our very near future - a group book. Imagine what a great book it would be, with all the different stories and perspectives!

      I do not look at it as a deadline - there is no such a thing as deadline in my life. I am always free to change my mind. I was just thinking, what I would like my life to be this year? Last year, I only wanted to live a happier year, because the year before that was just too sad! For 2015 goals/dreams/wishes, I realized that I am ready to start publishing books (the offer that came a few months after my reflection is like another little sign :)...

      I think we just need to write, in any form we want to - blogging is my big true love, but books is another big love and a dream that seemed too distant. By setting a goal this year, I make it closer and less intimidating for me. I am not interested in becoming a bestselling commercial author. I want to be a good one - a genuine one, with my own genuine voice and vision. The first book will most probably not be my best - but it's a learning experience, how else to gain it? :) I think we need to leave the notion of achievements and just have fun with what we love to do the most. Self-publishing is great, it's a modern way. Why wait till someone else approves of me as a writer, if I can just be a writer and publish my own work? :)

      Much love to you, and see you at Write and Link (I aim for the 26th again).

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    2. We are all over the place today-I have replied to you on my own blog as well. LOL
      I agree with you so much only I have to confess that blogging is not my writing first love. I began blogging as a way to make myself write every day, to get some of the excess stuff out of my head, and I thought that making it public on a blog would make me accountable. I would have to do it. I am also very attracted to the connections with people and am amazed and delighted to have found such a wonderful group of women. My first loves are very solitary things, writing stories and poetry, painting and reading, but in the end I am always driven to share some of that. I paint and write for myself but I do it to communicate as well and communication is not a solo thing. I think it is always a tragedy if one's first book is the best. One's most recent should hopefully be the best, and then again the next one.
      My Writer's Link story is ready of course and has been for some time. :-) Not that I consider it perfect or finished-lol. xoxoxo

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  7. A gorgeous dress, loving the earthy hippy vibe of the print with the denim waistcoat, and the necklace from Joni.
    I wish you every success with the publication of your writing, Natalia - it's a very exciting time! Congratulations on the Liebster too - it's always good to find out more about my favourite bloggers.
    The pink light in the sunset photos is just glorious! xxx

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  8. Loving that detail on the vest...you really know how to put an outfit together!! jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

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  9. fabulous outfit, love how you add a vest over your dress, such a cool layering! (love your vests!!), and also love the different prints and textures, that subtle color combo!
    And congrats for your Liebster, it's really interesting to read something about you!
    besos & suerte

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  10. Natalia, you're so sweet to add me to your award list. I'll try and get something written up in the next couple of days. Thank you so much!
    I love this dress on you and really like the fabric rope necklace with it. Nice choice! I've worn the birch bark necklace you gave me to work several times and get many oooh's and aaah's and "what is that?" I took pictures to create a post from it but I didn't like how the photos came out. That happens a lot when I have to rely on myself for photos. You'd think I'd learn to just have Russ take the pics but by the time he gets home from work I've changed into my comfy stuff.
    I have to sadly say that I didn't get my story written for the Link Up. I started it a couple of times and just didn't like the direction it was going in. Better luck next time I hope.
    Your answer to "where do you see yourself in 5 years" really sums up who you are to me. You hold treasuring life first and foremost into how you live. As it should be!

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  11. First, CONGRATULATIONS!! on the book! This is incredibly happy news. Whether it's an offer from someone else to publish it for you (always a good one!) or the decision to go for it yourself, clearly you are being bold and seizing life. I look forward to when it comes out, but I can imagine how challenging the process will be as you go along, with more highs than lows I hope. That's the part I would savour. Of course fame and millions would not be turned away. Heh.
    And you look superb in this maxi dress. It reminds of the '70s, in particular, of a recreation room with paneling on the walls and orange swag lights. Fantastic!
    I'm glad Anya is still exploring her passion too. I used to run a theatre camp and even as a director I had a blast.
    We are an understanding bunch, we bloggers, as you head off on your adventures, but we're here when you feel like it.
    Happy scribbles to you.

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  12. It was fun reading these little details about you.

    It sounds like this summer is going to be the summer of Natalia : )

    bisous
    suzanne

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  13. Congrats to you dear, I'm sure this wonderful opportunity is just the start...good luck with finishing all of your writing projects.

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  14. Looking wonderful in that maxi , it does have a 70's vibe I think. Sounds like your Summer is going to be a busy one , with your writing as well as providing a taxi service, enjoy them both.Enjoyed getting to know you a little better, thank you for nominating me . We understand you will be busy but will miss you and will wait for ongoing reports. XX

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  15. What a treasure this post is.. The photos are magical, your outfit is inspiring, and I am so very happy for you! The publishing will consuming as it should be. We understand and support you, So proud of you, too!
    Love the fabric necklace, the gorgeous clutch! I love this flowers too, and am glad you take the time to appreciate them!
    with love from a fellow night owl, xx, Elle
    http://mydailycostume.com

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  16. So much I've missed! Congrats on your book - that is HUGE accomplishment! And so much fun learning more about you. A beautiful outfit, I am loving the patterns you have in the dress and clutch.

    Alice
    www.happinessatmidlife.com

    Would love for you to stop by & join TBT Fashion link up.

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  17. OMG! I'm so happy that everything is going so well for you! Congratulations!!! It's wonderful.
    You look very nice and I'm a fan of ouur jasper ring.

    I'm definetely not a morning person either. Haha, I love your answet to no.8:D I used to think I'd havr problem with aging and now I just don't care:)
    Thank you for nominating me:))
    xxxx

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