eYs Empowering Empowering Your YourSoul Soul MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
HOW DECORATING
NEETZ DESIGNZ With you in MIND
Can influence your mood
TIPS BY COVER ME SWEET
MAGAZINE
EYS
CELEBRATES
A GOLDEN JUBILEE
WITH RICHARD AND PAMELA DALSENO eYs Magazine
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celebrating 50 years of love the art of life with maya
THE COVER A huge thank you to Richard and Pamela Dalseno for allowing eYs Magazine – Empowering Your Soul to feature their love story in our first issue and use their photo for the cover.
Art is a bright field of study where it invites the viewers to take part and interact. In 21st Century art we discuss semiotics, post-modernism and feminism....
ABOUT US Find us on
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Facebook: eYsMagazine Instagram: @eYs_Magazine Twitter: @eYsMagazine
KNOWLEDGE IS FOOD FOR THE SOUL
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BE INSPIRED
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www.eysmag.com www.empoweringyoursoul.com Creative Director/Editor-in-Chief/ Founding Director: Jasmina Siderovski Email: info@eysmag.com
FASHION ZEN STYLE
FOCUS ON BUSINESS
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Copyright © eYs Magazine - Empowering Your Soul 2018 All rights reserved. eYs Magazine – Empowering Your Soul has made constant care to make sure that the content is accurate on the date of publication. The views expressed in the articles reflect the author(s) opinions and are not necessarily the views of the publisher and editor. The published material, advertisements, editorials and all other content is published in good faith. eYs Magazine - Empowering Your Soul cannot guarantee and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by this website, publication and errors or for the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers. All content in eYs Magazine - Empowering Your Soul may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of eYs Magazine - Empowering Your Soul. eYs Magazine - Empowering Your Soul and its contributors cannot accept any liability for reader discontent arising from the editorial features. eYs Magazine - Empowering Your Soul reserves the right to accept or reject any article or material supplied for publication or to edit this material before publishing. eYs Magazine - Empowering Your Soul cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to provided materials. We accept no liability for misprints or mistakes and no responsibility can be taken for the contents of these pages. In this publication, you might find links to websites, third-party content and advertising. By using our website, you acknowledge that and agree that eYs Magazine - Empowering Your Soul cannot be held responsible and shall not be liable for the content of other websites, advertisements and other resources. By using this site, you agree to all terms and conditions listed above. If you have any questions about this policy, you may contact us.
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WELCOME to
eYs
Magazine
EMPOWERING YOUR SOUL
S
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE LATELY THAT HAS TAKEN YOU OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE? HOW OFTEN DO WE SET OURSELVES CHALLENGES AND COMMIT TO THEM?
ometimes our security zones overpower any thought process as we watch, day in day out, the sunset and people going about their usual routine, unaware the groundhog moment is a virtual reality. For me, it’s all about believing in yourself and taking a leap of faith, the moment we define our ‘can do’ rather than ‘to do.’ The minute we wake and live in the now because we all know tomorrow is never promised. Welcome to our first edition of eYs Magazine. Empowering Your Soul Magazine is an initiative I have dreamed about almost my entire life. I remember in my teenage years, I would eagerly wait for the next issue of my favourite magazine and count the days until its upcoming publication. The world wide web was non-existent and flicking through the pages our ultimate pastime. The joy on our faces, especially finding a poster of celebrities we were all madly in love with was priceless. It was here my dream flourished, speaking with my friends, about the new shade of lipstick, the shoes we all had to have and read every word, what Bon Jovi was up to at that point of time. The glow on everyone’s face, feelings of unity communicating and bonding in conversation, organising outings to the next live performance or the movies. The ultimate friendship formed and a chance to stay close to our friends, on the other side of the world. I knew one day, as much as it was only a dream, the day would arrive as I live up to the promise I made with myself and take the risk, a leap of faith and follow my heart. This is what I did. I woke up one morning and thought, there has to be more to life than the big stars, the big names, the celebrities and the pop stars, politicians and an ego-driven eccentric society. Then it hit me. I knew from that minute onwards, eYs Magazine, needed to be launched. It meant building a team and a passion along with a vision but more importantly, staying true to its mission. What is the soul purpose of Empowering Your Soul? It’s building other’s up and celebrating the people we never hear about. The people who pay it forward, every day of their lives. The people who work in silence as they change a person’s life. It’s these people that eYs Magazine celebrates and promises to search all hours and find them. We all know them, the faces that walk by casually in the street walking their dog. The ones we bump
into, in the grocery aisle. The selfless, who pick up the coins you just dropped handing it over to you greeting you with a defining smile. Each month you will read stories and be inspired, meeting people from around the world. The stories by our talented team, who are everyday mum’s and dad’s, sister’s and brother’s, son’s and daughter’s, and a friend. We hope you enjoy their skills and vision as we welcome you all to this very first eYs edition. The eYs team is working extremely hard bringing together a magazine featuring articles, fashion, jewellery and accessories, books and more, encouraging our readers to be part of the eYs family. We can travel together and watch each other grow sharing words of wisdom, experience and heartfelt stories of love and hope. Follow us on all social media platforms and get to know the team. If you get a minute drop us an email at empoweringyoursoul@gmail. com to share your thoughts, or if you would like us to feature someone who deserves recognition in our inspirational magazine. We hope you enjoy reading our cover story. Richard and Pamela Dalseno are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary - Golden Jubilee. Author’s Melissa Bell and J. Thiele talk to us in eYs Review about what’s new and who’s who in the readers and book-worms world. Watch out for Elizabeth Simonsen, and Anita Roe creating magic with fashion and jewellery. Tina Di Bella share’s tips, from Cover Me Sweet, in Home Décor and be mesmerised by Maya Apostoloska’s artwork, a multi award-winning and well-known artist, who teaches us about the world of art. Life Coach, Debbie Kemp will hold your breath until the end and the inspiring Natalie O’Connor introduces us to her life as she guide’s you to exotic destinations and talks about what really matters in life. Lidija Tomevska show’s us what it’s like to learn a second language and Cosette Awad and Julie Michels will soothe and warm your heart. On behalf of eYs Magazine and the eYs Team, we would all like to welcome you, personally to our very first edition launching eYs Magazine.
Jasmina Siderovski
JASMINA SIDEROVSKI Editor - in – Chief eYs Magazine
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NEETZ DESIGNZ by Anita Roe
Jewellery Designed with YOU in mind
T
here is nothing more precious than owning your very own unique and individual piece of jewellery. Your jewellery should be a reflection of your personality and soul, so that’s where Neetz Designz steps in! “Synonymous with style”, Neetz Designz has an array of stylish and very affordable pieces and also offers the service of custom designed jewellery for that special occasion. Neetz Designz is here to help you find that perfect adornment to make your special occasion even more memorable. From crystals and pearls to textured elements, I can style an array of jewellery designs for every individual. In 2017, I was excited to launch a men’s range which formed part of my Meraki Earth Collection. After all, why should the guys miss out on their own unique range? The Meraki Earth Collection was born after I was drawn to a quote about what “Meraki” actually meant and I immediately felt a connection with the definition. Meraki is a word that modern Greeks often use to describe what happens when you leave a piece of yourself, your soul, creativity or love in your work. So became the Meraki Earth Collection. My collections range from After Five to
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formal, urban to bohemian, children’s pieces and of course my unisex signature range, the Meraki Earth Collections.
You will also meet my signature pendant in this article, which is a handmade, uniquely designed Meraki Earth pendant. From pencil to paper to delicate ceramic work, the pendant was brought to life. For those of you who like diffuser jewellery, essential or perfume oils can be added to the reverse of the pendant so you can carry your favourite scent with you all day long. Neetz Designz jewellery that doesn’t follow the trend designers. I understand that every single one of us is an individual, with unique style and taste. I welcome you to contact me and allow me to provide a custom-made piece of jewellery that you can treasure forever.
Photography by Anita Rachelle Imagery
As they say “Life is too short to wear boring jewellery” and at Neetz Designz, we don’t do boring.
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DESIGNED WITH SOUL BEAU LA DIGITAS
Printed Thank you for buying Handmade Tags
Mini Password Books for Business or Personal Use RRP - $5.50 plus postage $2.75 postage https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/591120608/mini-password-book-printedpassword-book?ref=shop_home_active_10 Description: Printed Website Username Password Miniature Books. These are really cute and great to store and organize all your usernames and passwords for business or personal use.
RRP: $5.63 for 25 Tags or 50 $10.57 plus $2.75 postage https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/586517199/ thank-you-handmade-tags-buyinghandmade?ref=shop_home_active_6 These mini decorative tags “Thank you for Buying Handmade� tags are really lovely. Each tag is carefully cut by hand and I love how they turned out. You can add them to add to products for business or for personal gift giving.
Printable Knitting Journal RRP: $9.57 https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/539241416/knitting-journal-planner-printable?ref=shop_ home_feat_2 Knitting Journal Planner, Printable Knitting Journal, Knitting Notebook, Printable Planner, Printable PDFintable PDF If you love knitting, you will want one of these awesome journal planners I have designed just for you. Not only will you be organized, you can plan your projects and also write down all the relevant information. I wanted to make this a fun journal so I have added a few fun extras: Downloadable Content - 17 pages - Check out all my other fun craft journals too https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/BeaulaPrintables?ref=l2-shopheader-name&section_id=22037288
BLISSFUL BUTTERFLY ACCESSORIES A selection of elegant handmade hair accessories may be customized for all your needs at https://www.facebook.com/blissfulbutterfly.a/
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COVER ME SWEET
Red Lipstick Flower Cushion
Metallic Cushion
Personalized Mother’s Day
RRP $60 plus postage
RRP $45 plus postage
RRR $35 plus postage
*Prices all include inserts. Cover only $5 cheaper. Custom Orders are welcome for any occasion. | Available at Cover Me Sweet https://www.facebook.com/CoverMeSweetCushions/
NETTIE’S KNITS
NEETZ DESIGNZ Baby romper and booties
Luna Lou Moon Goddes Neckalace
RRP: $30.00 (set)
RRP $27 https://www.neetzdesignz.com/ product-page/luna-lou-moongoddess-necklace
Lace knit adult Beanie RRP: $25.00
Havana Blue Neckalce and Earrings Set RRP $30 https://www.neetzdesignz. com/product-page/ havana-blue-necklaceand-earrings-set
Purple ladies cowl RRP: $30.00
I love Paris Bracelet RRP $15 https://www.neetzdesignz.com/ product-page/i-love-paris-bracelet
All of these and more are available at www.facebook.com/NeTTies.KniTs eYs Magazine
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A DRAGONFLY DIARY THE PERFECT GIFT $10 USD A personal diary and a travel book to write about the memories in the making and special experiences close to your heart. Author Cosette Awad brings to life her quotes in a carefully designed diary for you to write in. Beautifully bound in a red ribbon bow. Available at https://www.facebook.com/A-Dragonfly-Diary-363978763964173/
ART OF LIFE by MAYA APOSTOLOSKA Painting size 120-180cm, acrylic on canvas from 2015 with relief flowers 3500â‚Ź The reproductions of the painting is a touch lighter Available exclusively through Artist Maya Apostolovska Email: majaapostoloska@gmail.com http:/www.mayaapostoloska.daportfolio.com
Designed by Artist Maya Apostoloska *All prices are in Australian Dollars unless otherwise stated. Items are subject to availability.
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Credit: Model Elizabeth Simonsen
Credit: Model Elizabeth Simonsen
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By Jasmina Siderovski
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF
Love
WITH RICHARD AND PAMELA DALSENO
H
ow often do we celebrate a milestone threatened by extinction, in modern society? The struggles, fast pace and challenges we are faced every day as an advancing society impact on love and the way couples hold it together as one. These days, although, we have access to an array of support offered by marriage counsellor’s and communicating aid, the legend of a golden jubilee is now becoming a term for the baby boomers. Richard and Pamela Dalseno, from Far North Queensland, are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary – A Golden Jubilee. The Dalseno’s have lived in Townsville for most of their life. Born in Tully, North Queensland (known as the home of the golden gumboot), Richard, moved to Townsville in his teenage years, after moving with his parents from Innisfail. Born into Italian heritage, Richard met Pamela as a true love story began with the girl who moved in next door. Pamela captured Richard’s heart and became his universe, his life, his best friend and his wife. Pamela, also known as Pam, born in Townsville, lived there almost her entire life, apart from a short move to Maryborough, and Mt. Isa, during her younger years. A heart-breaking upbringing shattered Pam as her parents divorced and her world turned upside down. Her pain and sadness turned into a love story meeting the man of her dreams and the love of her life. 13 July 1968, two soul mates united in love and vow for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as they both shall live, until death do them part. The strength of marriage is a gift and a
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blessing that only comes around once. Two people can create the secret ingredients which make a success story as they share an understanding, appreciation and mutual respect for one another. Like all married couples, disagreements are just a natural part of the journey. However, it’s the balance to grow, nurture, care and reason based on love, trust and honesty that cement a union as two hearts become one. The core ingredients plus a sprinkle of life, a teaspoon of happy and a lifetime of blessings creating our destiny with a touch of faith and a hint of hope to live the dream. We age with time wearing the wrinkles and cherishing the scars. We blossom with wisdom as age is experience and lessons learned. Age a word as our mind dictates the experiences and stepping stones teaching us the real things that matter in life. Richard and Pam became proud parents of two sons (sadly their first given wings early), and a beautiful daughter. Raising a family in this beautiful part of Australia became the Dalseno’s strength and inspiration working, to provide for their children and give them a life filled with unconditional love, and a home fluttering with warmth. Their children were their world and reason to smile as the blessings flowed through the celebrations, milestones, watching these young toddlers grow into responsible and exemplary adults and families of their own. In 2014, tragedy struck the family as the unthinkable happened shattering their lives. Pamela and Richard lost their second son and grandson from their daughter in an accident. Life would never be the same for the Dalseno’s again. Their reason for living came crashing down and their pain forever embedded in their heart. Losing your loved ones is the most harrowing experience any parent could ever
The Dalseno’s have lived in Townsville for most of their life.
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Two people can create the secret ingredients which make a success story as they share an understanding, appreciation and mutual respect for one another.
Photo supplied by Lou Lou Living and Lacey Lou Lou Links: Facebook: louloulivingcreations Instagram: @LouLouLiving_Townsville
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be confronted with. The pain and suffering become your life and your memories a treasure that can never be replaced. The Dalseno Family home is filled with sentiments, photos and beautiful memories reminding them how blessed they were to be proud parents and grandparents. How does anyone come back from such a tragedy is beyond anyone’s imagination? The courage and love to keep fighting for the life we all deserve. While many of us go about our daily routine, there are so many who suffer in silence feeling emotionally and physically drained a loss of this magnitude inflicts. Today, Pamela and Richard still live in Townsville and half a century later are celebrating another milestone. The bravery and outlook on life after their tragic loss is an inspirational journey Pamela, and Richard Dalseno have openly embraced as they celebrate fifty years through the miracle of love, beauty, smiles, tears, milestones, memories and warmth only true love experiences through hope and faith. The Dalseno’s are loved by everyone in the community continuing to inspire so many through their passion for up styling vintage furniture. Their reward is creating masterpieces as they bring back to life an old piece of furniture revamped and upstyled and is welcomed with excitement in a new loved home. Their passion for paying it forward and bringing a smile to so many glows
through Pamela’s social media on Facebook – Lou Lou Living. While her followers eagerly await the magic, this beautiful duo creates romancing their love for life and their children and grandchildren by through their determination to restore vintage pieces of furniture that will fit perfectly in a contemporary world. Richard and Pamela Dalseno share their recipe celebrating a gold milestone, jubilee with eYs Magazine about their heartfelt stories of courage, bravery and good times. How did you both meet? Richard: “I met Pam after she moved next
“HUSBAND AND WIFE NEED TO BE HONEST AND LOYAL. IT IS THE GREATEST STRENGTH OF MARRIAGE”. door to our family home where I was living with my parents.” Pam: “I was the girl who moved next door, like in the movies. Our first real date was at Richards Birthday Party, from that time onwards we were inseparable as girlfriend/ boyfriend.” When did you know that you were in love? “We both agree a strong friendship and
“Being both of retired age the choice of most days is ours to take. A morning cuppa together is a great blessing to begin any day. Having each other by our sides”.
“Lacey Lou Lou – Came about when I decided to create prettiness inspired by the love of my grandchildren”.
understanding of each other led to love. We were both young and yet ready for commitment.” When you said “I do,” could you imagine that you’d still be married 50 years later? “The fairytale of marriage was a strong belief with commitment. However, it wasn’t going to be easy forward, and we were aware of that. Each day together has brought us closer to this and the present time. The Vows – In sickness and in health till death do us part are very important.” Who was your inspiration growing up? Richard: “My father was my inspiration, he worked hard and never complained.” Pam: “My inspiration was my dreaming. I only ever wanted to have in the future, a sound loving marriage and a partner to
grow old with and children to love and inspire.” What has been the hardest and easiest elements of staying married? Richard: “The responsibility of parenting our children when each other’s opinions differed at time and being so proud of each as great citizen’s when grown finally realizing we did this together for our children.” What has been the greatest obstacle you have faced over 50 years?
“Each day together has brought us closer to the present time”.
“The greatest obstacle of our marriage has been proving that our marriage was strong to last the distance when it was said that we both weren’t suited to be together. Rich being of Italian heritage and Pam being of English, I guess 50 years ago that was thought of as important!” eYs Magazine
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What has been the most joyous day or occasion you’ve experienced as a married couple? “The most joyous days were definitely the births of our three children and grandchildren. Nothing compares to that JOY.” What are your favourite moments? (restaurants, outings, holidays etc.) Richard: “Love home times and the feeling of self in those surrounds.” Pam: “Simple pleasures of times with our children, being proud of their success and memories of times together with them whether just sitting and listening to them or sharing some of their many achievements. A mum always gloats of her children.” Any milestones you would like to mention? “The feeling of being immensely proud of our children’s educational graduations to them being well rounded young humans ready to face their place in the world, also the weddings of each to the loves of their life and hearing their joy of their children’s births.” What is the most important thing for a husband/wife to know? “Husband and wife need to be honest and loyal. It is the greatest strength of marriage along with understanding and commitment, this maybe a key to a long happy marriage.” What do you think has changed in society from 50 years ago (marriage and commitment)? “Today’s marriages allow more independence and not spending as much time together; I’m not sure that is a good thing for surviving 50 years today.” If you could have been given a critical piece of advice before marrying, what would it have been? “We are still walking the walking and talking the talk together – very important for sharing.” Your secret to resolving conflict in a longterm marriage? “Be Kind. Allow give and take to each other. Understanding that your partner has thoughts often different to your own and not always agreeable.” What subjects disagreements?
cause
the
most
“Financials – Having the ability of making less more - so often have had to do this.” What methods do you use to reach an equitable solution to a disagreement? “Space – Respecting each other’s space.” 14
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If you had it all to do over again, what would you like to change most? “Don’t be influenced by others. Make your own decisions jointly as a couple because that is really what it is about.” All marriages have difficult moments what was yours? “Our difficulty has been grieving the loss of deaths of our two sons and grandson and how it has affected both of us personally with our family. We each grieve differently, and it has been a challenge to understand.” Share some of the blessings you have received. How have they brought you together? “The most significant blessings have been the births of our children and grandchildren to our life. They are our miracles of life spending time together enjoying simple pleasures, life’s greatest moments do not need to be grand occasions, short travel getaways to take time out to smell the roses is a great refresher in life.” What do you do to keep you busy? Hobbies, past-times and interests. “Being both of retired age the choice of most days is ours to take. A morning cuppa together is a great blessing to begin any day. Having each other by our sides.” Richard: “Gardening our tropically landscaped property and maintenance of our gorgeous cottage. Fishing – living in North Queensland provides a paradise for this. Upstyling furniture is where handy skills are played.” Pam: “Designing and sewing have always been a passion since childhood, and I’ve been fortunate enough to work within the area of fashion too. I furthered my career in Interior styling and which has now led to having enjoyment currently in up styling furniture to a new life. Both of these hobbies have been a saviour in the darkness of grief by therapy that leads to giving smiles and joy to others and helped me to cope day by day.” What does Lou Lou Living and Lacey Lou Lou mean to you? “Lacey Lou Lou – Came about when I decided to create prettiness inspired by the love of my grandchildren (two being gorgeous granddaughters). I’ve always loved lace and gorgeousness and so needle and thread to fabric created unique (OOAK) garments and home decor. I further also began to upstyle furniture and included this, taking a tired but well-structured vintage piece and giving it a new and modern contemporary look. A fabulous moment happened when I was nominated for North Queensland handmade Awards, and although I wasn’t the winner, it was an honour to be within the shortlist range of talent and made me very proud. All of this has assisted me in my therapy of grieving,
I painted and created many many hours with tears streaming down my cheeks in missing my loved ones, still do some days as it never leaves one’s thoughts. As time has passed up styling became my go to, and I then closed one small business Lacey Lou Lou and launched afresh into Lou Lou Living which is almost entirely of upstyled furniture with some additions of unique handmade gifts and decor items. It was time to change and go with direction which was leading. It is where my creative passion has led and with hubby (Mr Fixit) by my side we give pleasure to the many that seek the Love created into each of these items.” Famous Last Words? “Accept what has happened in your life with strength and grace as that is what along with determination it will hopefully get you through. Search for happiness when it isn’t delivered. Always remember ~ It is what it is ~ Tomorrow is a new given day. If you receive it grab it fully with open hands and hearts.” From the entire team at ‘eYs Magazine – Empowering Your Soul,’ we wish Richard and Pamela Dalseno good health and happiness, love and joy filled with blessings as we congratulate them on their Golden Jubilee.
“THE MOST SIGNIFICANT BLESSINGS HAVE BEEN THE BIRTHS OF OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN TO OUR LIFE. THEY ARE OUR MIRACLES OF LIFE SPENDING TIME TOGETHER”.
Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary Pamela and Richard eYs Magazine
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ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY
THE ART OF LIFE WITH MAYA A
A Passionate Abstract By Maya Apostoloska 16
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rt is a bright field of study where it invites the viewers to take part and interact. In 21st Century art we discuss semiotics, post-modernism and feminism. There are a variety of materials including electronic technologies, digital media and imaging, photography, graphic design, internet projects, mix media, and video installations. Artists today, continue to explore old media and develop artistic materials to create association and cover the visible surface of the present world in their work. The visual artist analyses film, television,
graphic novels, fashion design, and other forms of popular culture beside the established fine-art, such as, painting in the past. Following, materiality, computerisation competed with “older� media such as painting, etching and sculpturing. Globalisation aided by the world wide web and the mass media lead to easy intermixing of influences and artistic vocabularies. The reason art nowadays is rich, authentic and colourful with ideas. By the late 20th Century, public art expanded and was well established. In the 21st Century, we witness activity in the form of murals, graffiti, pop-up art shops,
“The contemporary art market reached record amounts even when the world economy collapsed”.
street parades, online projects, installation and performance. Everything that included social interaction. Conceptual art in the late 1960’s further developed modernism. An art where the concept in the art is more important than the physical art itself. Donald Jo (1966), Royal Nijnten Cho (1988), conceptualists Philip Guston and Joseph Beuys (1974), Brian Catling (1989), Marina Abramovic (1995) all made an enormous popularising modern art. The contemporary art market reached record amounts even when the world economy collapsed. Andy Warhol’s, ‘The
Green Car,’ sold for over 35 million pounds and the Chinese painting from Zhang Xiaogang ‘The Family No.3’ sold for more than $3.3 million. Mark Rothko’s ‘Gold Square’ sold for $21 million, and $15 million for the ‘Blue Square,’ while the ‘Pink Square’ fetched $4200 million. Contemporary art became commercial in the last 50 years. Artists like Jeff Koons, Damian Hirst have had an increasing influence on the prices for their art. One hundred years ago, Wassily Kandinsky, Vanessa Bell, Paul Klee, Kupka, Robert Delaunay were all artists who created art called Abstraction.
Hilma af Klint 1862-1944 and Annie Besant 1847-1933 were one of the first women abstract art painters. In the late 1600’s, Mary Beale and Gwen John gained popularity as portraitists. From 1880 to 1950, over 25 Dutch women artists survived from the art in Northwest Veluwe. Besides painting lovely portraits, they ventured outdoors painting landscapes, villages, and everyday people, uncommon during that era. In 2017 in Noord Veluws’ Museum in Holland there was an exhibition presenting 16 of this lady’s art. Women were doing it tough. Politics and eYs Magazine
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business weren’t the only industries that women had fewer chances at the time but also in art. Most of the women depicted in the art featured in the museums, cinemas and theatres are “muses”- a woman transported/evolving from man. The earliest artwork by Venus of Willendorf from 25,000 BCE is still a mystery whether a man or a woman had painted it. Venus was one of the most beautiful women according to 5th-century art. The birth of Venus from Sandro Botticelli painted in the 15th Century was one of the first naked women’s body presented, after the period of the Greeks, and Romans. Around 1510, the Venetian Giorgione painted the Godin Venus in a very sexual way. Titiaan Vecelli was also finishing his painting and creating another erotic version of this celebrator of love known as Venus Van Urbino. In the past, several women in history made an impact in art. Sappho was known as one of the first female writers, Cleopatrathe last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt, Emily Dickinson- an American poet, the two
Nobel Prize Winner, Scientist Marie Curie, followed by Coco Chanel, Mother Teresa, Queen Elizabeth, Madonna, and Princess Diana. Female artists faced difficulty throughout the centuries trying to engage in the art world and canon. During the early 20th-century a feminist global movement changed the way men accepted female artists in the industry. In the 1960s, many women through the feminist movements attended art lessons in the USA and Europe. Women in the past couldn’t attend art lessons, and shunned away from pursuing any interest in art. Aspiring female artists, frowned upon anything that differed from their traditional role to run the household, bare children and domestic work duties within the home. Mierle Laderman Ukeles made a stand through Performance Art in her Private series Performances of Personal Maintenance as Art (1970–73), documenting the household tasks and routines that consuming most of her time — folding laundry and bundling up her
children to go outside in the winter. She exhibited the resulting photographs and texts as artworks. In 1973 her bold live scene caught passer buyers as she was busy cleaning the gallery. Artist Yoko Ono also supported the feminist movement through performance art in 1964 protesting against violence on women requesting the public to cut her clothes until she is naked. Position of women within the art world improved over the coming years, however, only 5% of the modern artists are women while 85% of the nudist artists were female. Guerrilla Girls is an active feminist group today while Judy Chicago’s, The dinner party installation is considered as the first great feminist artwork. Some known visual female artists celebrated today making progress are Tracey Emin, Barbara Kruger, Shirin Neshat, Kara Walker, Marina Abramovic, and Lee Krasner. An influential abstract expressionist painter in the mid-20th century known as the woman behind Pollock Maaike Hartjes - strip drawings.
Credit: Ivana Stojanovska Stankovic Filigree Designs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ivana-Stojanovska-Stankovic-197654571985/?ref=br_rs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fob_jewellery/
Ivana Stojanovska Stankovic She was born in Skopje, 1984 graduating with a Degree in Fine Arts in Skopje, 2006. Her work with filigree begun in 2007 designing filigree jewellery at the Rubin Factory. The Museum of Applied Arts in Belgrade exhibit her filigree designs. Ivana’s jewellery is sophisticated, authentic and original and her signature filigree designs are popular throughout the world. Her art is fascinating and specific, presenting a distinctive expression, and a light and skilful combination of diverse textures of metal, using moderate and sophisticated colours, stones, glass or details that resemble other cultures. Ivana’s approach to the traditional technique of filigree and her freedom to transform old forms of bracelets,
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earrings, necklaces into something new characterised by a rare elegance, sophistication and calm, bright, artistic expression. The creative space within which she moves has a significant force, width and openness. She has represented her art at many local and international exhibitions in Serbia, Macedonia, Germany. Her work is online reachable on Facebook and Instagram.
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Model: Ole Boshkovska
Model Elizabeth Simonsen
KNOWLEDGE IS FOOD FOR THE SOUL
Designing My E.F.L Classroom By Lidija Tomevska Credits: Herc Exclusive
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t is my modest opinion that teaching a second language is a mixture of both art and science. A teacher chooses a range of methods in the classroom just like painters choose their colors and act upon their canvas to create something masterful. A great teacher also applies scientific approach by observing and deciding upon the best ways to ensure efficient learning. Being an EFL teacher opens the opportunity to be a little bit of a painter and a lit bit of a scientist. It opens the opportunity to interact, to develop insights, to make a difference, to support a greater sense of openness and appreciate other cultures. Developing a language environment that will positively influence second language learning often requires following certain principles
“Students are not able to learn much by only sitting in classes and listening to teachers”. which serve as useful guidelines for successful EFL teaching design. Identification of diverse talents and ways of learning Most importantly, a teacher needs to identify diverse talents and ways of learning. Being able to do this, a teacher guides the learner by introducing new ways of learning that give the learners the opportunity to feel comfortable in the classroom and show their talent. To achieve this, the teacher needs to apply various teaching activities and techniques that address a broader specter of learners. Active learning Secondly, a teacher’s focus should always be active learning. Students are not able to learn much by only sitting in classes and listening to teachers. They must be encouraged to become active participants in the process of designing efficient learning patterns. Challenge them to share ideas and get them involved. Get armed with creativity Creativity plays a crucial role in every classroom setting. Being imaginative and using original ideas is what shapes the learning process rising it to a higher educational level. It opens a world of endless activities to easily approach and introduce foreign language to learners especially the youngest ones. Traditional and authentic materials Choosing the right materials for teaching a foreign language class
is extremely important. Of course, it is necessary to approach many grammar topics using the traditional techniques but when combined with authentic materials in the target language it always gives the perfect formula for bringing the language closer to your students. What is crucial is to show flexibility and openmindedness in this selection process. Acknowledge students’ performance It is immensely significant to celebrate and recognize student accomplishments. However, this does not always necessarily require a reward system. The easiest way to recognize or praise student achievement is to apply the spotlight technique as a powerful tool which does not only foster a strong student-student and student-teacher relationship but it also creates a positive classroom culture. Teaching is an exhilarating profession. Best teachers are not simply born and their success does not necessarily require natural gifts. Designing an outstanding classroom environment is primarily about hard work and creating conditions in which students learn most effectively. By sharing my thoughts on learning English as a second language, hopefully, I would be able to bring my teaching world closer to all enthusiastic learners and thus introduce amazing new ways to learn a foreign language. eYs Magazine
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BE INSPIRED
BIG LOVE AND MAGIC Inner Whispers By Julie Michels
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y intention for this year has been to feel joy within simplicity. I became aware late last year that life had become too hectic and felt somewhat hardened, tense and stressed. I went through the motions of doing what needed to be done on auto pilot. Out of my flow, restless and stagnant, I was ‘doing’ and forgot how to ‘be.’ Certain areas of life felt abrasive, like sandpaper. The need to go inward, to separate from my outer world to connect with my inner world. I needed to remember my why, and rediscover who I am separate from wife, mother, daughter, employer, what am I doing, where am I going, and be in the now. In awareness of this feeling I wrote,
me on a path of shedding and opening. The shedding of people, places, thoughts, feelings that are no longer in alignment with my blank canvas. My place of space and reflection, showed me a broader sense of self, and a better understanding of my foundation. I realised that rebuilding my foundation based on values and meaning taps into the inner strength we all have inside us. Remembering my strength allows me to have the courage to step outside of my comfort zone and explore my light and shade. I want to explore what gives me joy and to remember to smile again, and It’s not always sunshine and rainbows. By pairing back and aligning with the simplicity, I am reminded to feel joy in simple moments, to get creative and to practice mindfulness and gratitude. Through gratitude and keeping it simple, I am returning to the big love and magic within. When in doubt I come back to these simple words: “Thank you, Thank you, Thank you”
‘With stars in her eyes and love in her heart SHE rose.’
‘I don’t know where I am going or what I am doing. I know where I have been, and where I am now. I am in the space of unpacking all aspects of my life, a blank canvas, to rebuild and reintroduce from the intention of selfacceptance, love, kindness, and light’. This acknowledgment and intention set
‘With softness, strength and faith, a serenity bestowed upon her and she found her unshakable foundation of self-love.’
‘Through moments of stillness she softened. With softness she recognised her strength. Through strength she remembered who she was. With remembering who she was she connected with faith.’ eYs Magazine
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BE INSPIRED
IN MY LIFE By Natalie O’Connor Natalie O’Connor Photography
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y focus for writing for eYs is to share stories that present themselves in my life and in the lives of those around me. They maybe from: the mundane, to the extraordinary, common, funny, sad or entertaining. By sharing these stories, it is my hope that I can show that you are not alone or even entertain or inspire. Someone once told me that it was really important to focus on the ordinary things in life and find wonder in them, because if you don’t you will always seek out extraordinary things in order to be impressed by. My aim is to write about the extraordinary in the ordinary. But before any of that, I should introduce myself. My name is Natalie and I am 38 years old and a mother to two gorgeous children. I am also a proud stay at home mum. Prior to this I was a photographer, business consultant, author and traveler. All of these facets of my past still emanate within me but when my first child arrived I knew I wanted to be at home with him. I was fortunate to have the choice to be able to stay at home with him. I totally get that not everyone is able to stay at home or may not want to stay at home either. I have no judgement toward any mammas. It’s one of the toughest jobs in the world and your choice is your choice. I admire the heck out of each and every one trying to juggle their lives. For me, I knew there must be more to my life than earning good money, working very long hours and being so stressed out; I had no time or energy to enjoy the world around me. I also became so jaded by the “corporate scene”. Seeing people who lied and cheated succeed and other more admirable people being left behind. This was my experience and I can only speak
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from my experience. In any case once my children came along, I didn’t want to go back to that world. I knew that there has to be something more, something more fulfilling. So, I pondered on it. Spoke to a lot of people around me, to get their stories and how they got to where they were, or their “happy place” in life. I thought about all that I was interested in and what I was passionate about and how much time I could really devote to something outside my family, given that my children are still so young. Then I just let it go. I didn’t fixate on what it would look like or how I would get there, this time, I just let go, and let me tell you, for an analytical person such as me that normally has been a real challenge but not this time. I just knew I wanted to share my creativity and make a difference somehow. That was all that I focused on. Within a couple of months, opportunities started to present themselves. So, I’m taking them and running with them. A few are still in their infancy and others, like writing for eYs, are a reality. I am so honored and grateful for this opportunity and I do hope you enjoy the stories and the journey as we get to know each other and real people in the world around us.
Down The Road
Clouds
First Rain
BE INSPIRED
THE BRIDGE By Deme McDonald
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Austen McDonald
eing a foreigner living in Sydney, Australia it never gets old crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I marvel at the majestic beauty of this structure and quiet strength of its cables. I always steal a glance at the sails of the Opera House glistening in the sun to her side and cross with excitement for what awaits on the other side; the city, a show, shopping, meeting friends for drinks. Today it’s work in Alexandria and even going to work is special when crossing this bridge. As I sit in traffic under the crown, of this steely beauty I can see a group of tourists tethered together crossing her frame high above the morning commuters. I gaze at
the morning joggers smugly rolling past wishing I cared enough to get up early to do the same. The train zooms past and eight lanes of traffic like an octopus guiding the way to all our destinations. At this moment I realised why I have such an affinity with this structure… I AM the BRIDGE! The Merriam -Webster Dictionary defines a bridge as a structure carrying a pathway or roadway over a depression or obstacle, or a means of connection or transition. My photo should have been pasted next to the suspension bridge with a wide smile. I was married for fifteen years, had two kids and supported my husband through university. I held all the responsibility of the household nursing our children and his dreams and aspirations. As I am Downwardfacing dog supporting him he traversed my spine weakening my constitution while climbing to his destination of higher qualifications, new job, and ultimately new wife and life. Just another seagull perched on my shoulders, a scavenger. Oh no, he didn’t say thank you, as he moved forward I watched, stuck firmly planted in the earth, cables outstretched. There is a constant procession of travellers taking passage across my spirt negotiating the journey of their lives over challenging obstacles and new adventures as I stand solid as the confidant, the supporter, playing Oprah to family and friends connecting them to people and places they may never have contemplated otherwise. The boss who swings from my late-night sacrifice to
his success and friends who abseils to new adventures from my ever-available ear and constant encouragement. Veiled reality as I stand there the stress builds in silence. This structure is not sound. Imminent danger. The collapse of my being, the breakdown. I am fully cognisant of what others could never imagine, the dissipation of my being. I know I am only held together by coffee and Spanx. The signs are clear but may as well be thick as mud as my frequent passengers intentionally ignore the inevitable as to acknowledge it evokes fear and anger as their link to their self is threatened. I flutter by the velocity of the whining and oscillate with the push and pull of the responsibility of working mother, partner, friend, …life. I lift my heart up as an offering to the universe and ask, Why me? Why is the world running a marathon across my soul? In the quiet of the night, my mindfulness training from that one spa vacation I took that ended up being a seven-day mediation retreat provided an answer. You are needed. All those vessels recognised in you what you did not see in yourself; strength, stability, reliability, a majestic grace. They recognised in you what they were not. I reflected on all those who walked, drove and climbed all over me, family and the tourist in my life with gratitude as it is a compliment to my essence that I have been blessed to facilitate so many to connect with others, find themselves, cross to new places and realise their true potential or simply just be present when the only need is silent strength. I also recognised that to be available to others I must reinforce myself and be more discerning with the loads I choose to carry. Stop bending over backwards for others to get over their issues and climb to greater heights while you crumble within. Sometimes we may need to close a lane. Tell those passengers in life to take a ferry. Shut down for maintenance so that you reinforce your soul and be mindful of your needs, be in the moment, and listen to your true spirit to propel you to live the life designed for you with Kindness, Joy and Passion. eYs Magazine
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BE INSPIRED
A COSY CORNER
Adapting to Change By Cosette Awad
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eople barely adapt to change and I was one of the people that change feels like a punch in the face to me. I am now a contradiction of constant changes and beautiful routines. But now change doesn’t scare me anymore. If you spend your whole life walking next to a wall to avoid the inevitable or build one around your heart, you will never reach your destination. Destinations where you reach your goals and dreams come true. You have to burn and hurt and have your heart broken countless times if it must. You have to stumble and fall. You have to lose some fights or all until you find something real to stand for. It may be a person, a goal, a career changing or even moving away to a whole new country and starting over. Courage is the key. Letting go of what or who slows you down are the first steps to move forward and it’s never too late because some people achieve their goals at the age of 30 and others at 60. It’s never too late because you deserve to live and you deserve to own the world, your world. The first cut is the deepest, or so I heard... I had two choices, to travel with him to another continent or watch him leave, and I live with the “what if’s.” I heard once that “sometimes we make choices, sometimes choices make us,” and I thought when were
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18 we couldn’t make the right ones; until I met Hana and she told me how lucky she was to marry her first love. Hana, 33 years old People find it difficult to adapt to change. I was one of them. Change felt like a punch in the face. I contradict constant changes and beautiful routines. But now change doesn’t scare me anymore. If you spend your whole life walking next to a wall to avoid the inevitable or build one around your heart, you will never reach your destination. Destinations where you reach your goal or have your dreams come true. You have to burn, hurt and have your heart broken countless times if it must. You stumble and even fall and lose fights until you find something real to stand for. It may be a person, a goal, a career changing or moving away to a whole new country and start over. Courage is the key. Letting go of what or who slows you down is the first step to move forward. And it’s never too late. Some people achieve their goals at 30 and some at 60. It’s never too late because you deserve to live and you deserve to own the world, your world. Jennifer, 25 years old I was 16 when my parents split, and my
mom’s final decision to leave the house was made because I told her that I had enough of seeing her in pain. I am their only child and I was going through all this alone, even before the split happened I was seeing it coming and i started falling apart, then I knew that I am on my own and I need to put myself together, so I can move on and adapt to the change. Even my mother was going through a major change to live her life without my father. I accepted the fact that I can’t change what happened to my parents but I can choose my fate and make a better future for myself. I was guided by hope and positivity. I had my MBA and now finishing my second one. I am on my way to the top, regardless if anyone believed that I can do it or not. I did it. I am in the process of building a successful career and i know one day I will fulfil my dreams. Sandy, 30 years old I always see the good in people, give them the benefit of doubts, and I always believed that people can change, until the last trace of hope vanished, and the result is always heartbreak, disappointment and deception. I used to seek attention and approval from the guys I dated, make them the center of my universe, wasting my energy on the eYs Magazine
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wrong people, ditch my friends who care about me, and ignore my family. Put myself in debts, to buy new cars, and spend money on expensive useless stuff just to have the attention I want. And one day the last wrong person in my life, drained me, brought out the worst in me, made me doubt myself and my worth until I said it’s enough, no more toxic people in my life. I turned my energy into family and good friends, books and knowledge. And set a goal to travel the world. That’s how I changed my life. Lara, 32 years old They say if you love the wrong person that much, imagine how much you will love the right one. My father diagnosed with a disease that did put him in bed for more than 25 years. I was a little girl when he got sick, and I didn’t really go anywhere, didn’t see the mountains, or the ocean, my life was between home and school. At the age of 15 I decided to join the scout just to see more of the world and meet new people. That’s where I met a guy, he became my best friend. We fell in love not long after that. At the age of 24 we got married. While we were having our first dance he whispered in my ears “Hey don’t except that we will have a normal marriage.” I fooled myself and said he’s drunk. My wedding dress was set on fire. And my bad luck followed me everywhere. The only time that was normal in our relationship was our honey moon in Turkey. My life became a living hell; our intimate time together became abuse and rape instead of love and sharing. Until one day I found him in our bed with another woman, who didn’t even know he had a wife. After a struggle to get a divorce, I said I will never trust a man or love again. It took me 7 years to recover, to adapt to change, until I decided to take a leap of faith, love found me, I am engaged to a wonderful, loving and caring man, and suddenly all my broken pieces were mended.
Photography by: Omar Adawieh Instagram: @omar_adawieh https://www.instagram.com/ omar_adawieh/ Model: Myra Madi Instagram: @myramadi https://www.instagram.com/ myramadi/ Make-up Artist: Maguy Fares Instagram: @maguyfares https://www.instagram.com/ maguyfaress/
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LIFE COACH
By Debbie Kemp
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here’s a place that relaxes me like no other. A place that connects me to my soul and invites me to be more present than anywhere else. It’s off the beaten track, it’s spacious and it’s abundant in nature. It happens to be the same place where I experienced the most horrifying moment of my life. The moment when a man I trusted lay on top of me and thrust his body against mine like it was his way of loving me, and the moment my body shut down so much that I couldn’t move or make a sound. This was the moment that my body experienced so much fear that I didn’t even have a fight or flight response, and instead I froze. It didn’t last long, his thrusting or my fear; thankfully there was an interruption. A divine rescue. As I silently walked away from him and toward this amazing space in nature, I buried what had happened deep into my subconscious like it had never happened. There it stayed for around 25 years… This isn’t a story about a victim. It’s a story of healing on so many levels. It’s a story about how powerful it has been for me to dive deep into the emotions surrounding that moment and to release them. I was 35 when I remembered. I’d just had baby number two and my emotions were all over the place. That’s not something
I was used to, so I made a kinesiology appointment. There, I lay on the table and when she asked me what happened when I was a child, scared in the dark, I remembered the moment with much detail. I’m sure my soul left my body in that moment, because it was like I watched my body convulse with fear on the table. Afterwards, I was incredibly present to the scared little girl inside me and I wanted to understand the situation more. I started to explore energetic healing options, and it wasn’t long before a practitioner made the connection between this childhood moment and the autoimmune condition that had caused me suffering for a decade. In my mid-twenties I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called lichen sclerosis… let’s just say that I was indescribably uncomfortable ‘down there’. Doctors had told me there was no cause and no cure and I’d just have to live with it forever. Then an energetic hypnotherapist explained that my immune system was protecting me from the thing that had caused me incredible trauma. I knew he was right, and in that moment I also knew that I could heal that condition. If my emotions were the cause of it, then I could heal. So I explored a range of energetic healing modalities. I connected to my emotions and my scared inner child. I cried
for her. I released the fear and the upset, the disbelief and the distrust, and I healed. Physically, I was [my] normal again. Mentally, emotionally and spiritually, I was changed. I’d discovered something incredibly powerful about our emotions and there was no going back to my old thinking. Along this healing journey I’d released previously-held thoughts like “I don’t want to be loved” and “I’ll never be fully accepted and appreciated and loved just as I am”. As I released these thoughts, I came to understand that I could replace them with whatever thoughts I wanted to, that I could create new belief systems. I played with this, personally and in my coaching, and I also immersed myself in learning more. I explored the benefits of gratitude, play, journaling, meditating, and communicating with my soul. I read and listened to leaders like Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Abraham Hicks and Bruce Lipton. I spent more time in nature, and more time admiring it. I practised tuning in to my heart space, my intuition, my soul. More and more, I discovered that we are such powerful creators… creators of our thoughts, our feelings, our beliefs and our lives. We don’t always consciously choose what happens to us, but we are always choosing our response and our next steps, and we can always choose our thoughts and feelings too. We can even choose to be well. When we recognise that emotions are such a big part of our health, and that stuck emotions can cause so much dis-ease, releasing them regularly becomes as crucial to health as healthy eating. It felt important to me, to honour this first beautiful edition of Empowering Your Soul with a raw and honest insight to where I stand spiritually and what I’ve explored. I’m not an advocate of any particular modality, I’ve benefitted from many. I’m constantly blown away by the interconnectedness of all things and the powerful opportunities that arise when we consciously work with energy. Soon I’ll be heading back to the beautiful place that I find so relaxing. I’ve released all the energy I need to and I acknowledge that there will be more layers in time. When I’m there, I’m going to be present and focused on the beauty and abundance that surrounds me. I’m so grateful for it… just like I’m grateful for the scary moment in my childhood that later offered me the greatest opportunity in personal and spiritual development. eYs Magazine
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BE INSPIRED
Simply Keep it Real By Jasmina Siderovski
EMPOWERING YOUR SOUL I
once said, “The best support you could ever offer someone is to simply keep it real.” I still stand by that quote. As you grow if you are anything like me, restless and never at peace (tiresome and drives you nuts), then you will appreciate that the real in our lives is not exactly clearcut as we think. I am married to an intelligent soul, a person who is driven and enjoys a challenge and has studied and worked extremely hard to be where he is. He is an individual who knows what he wants in life, very stable and passionate and in all honesty as real as you can be. There are certainly no grey areas what you see is what you get. You either love him for his naiveness or hate him for calling it out. He has taught me more about myself than I could ever know. Now they say that opposites attract – and how true that is at times. Unlike him, straight and direct, I am soft and open. I don’t like to judge and am a great 30
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listener. I care about those who enter my heart, and for those of you, that know me will stand by my vibes. I tend to hold back and process first before I open my mouth. Let me tell you a little secret. I used to be once very insecure. I feared the world and would hide trying hard not to be noticed and hopefully stay under the radar. On the outside, I was shy and quiet, but on the inside, I was different. I loved to read; Einstein was my hero, music was my soul, the animals around me were my friends and always curious almost about anything and everything. I loved to write and write all night. I loved to connect with my pen pals (no social media back then) from around the world, especially the ones that lived in poverty, in third world countries. It was them that I seemed to connect to the most. I loved fashion, and I loved the news, I would watch it on every channel, and I loved being with myself because I was the only one who understood me. So I thought.
Anyone relate? No one knew who I was and what I was like because I would never let anyone in, entirely a learning curve of my own. I blocked everyone out, as I feared to fail to be perfect. The sun in my stars for those that believe, perhaps, wasn’t quite ready for me to be free; maybe I was just at an age with too many questions not asked. Either way, I was someone even I didn’t know at the time. It got worse as young as my twenties; I started to question my direction. Was it family or was it the world of art, culture, and the unknown that I should choose. Am I comfortable with marriage and a family, culture, religion, and traditions or do I owe it to myself to travel hoping to learn, see and find what it is that I may be looking for? I now appreciate that it’s the imperfection in our lives, to let nature do its thing and guide us the best way it knows how. Despite how we feel and the questions in our head. Age,
perhaps, is the level of experience we are lived by and exposed. It’s our barrier, and weakness as some of us mature faster, and the rest take our time. Neither is right or wrong, everyone shapes when it is time. I married the most amazing person when I was 26, (I know now) after eight years of getting to know each other, we setup our lives not aware that we were grooming the other and working out this thing called love. In all honesty, we had each other; there was no rush to set it in stone. When you are comfortable and not even aware of it, you tend to make some rational choices and not be as impulsive. For us, it was about creating a future based on the truth. We just had no idea that this is what we were doing at the time. Today, we realise it certainly was a bonus being different personalities so unlike, it gave us identity, and we became ‘him’ and ‘her,’ rather than ‘them,’ ‘his’ or ‘hers.’ I believe it all created a balance and finetuned our reasons for being attracted to each other. Together, we set up a third personality – the creation of black and white set in colour. No, it’s not meant to make sense at all. As we combined respect and core over the years, this steered us in different directions that affirmed substance how we set out to achieve our goals. It taught us that we both have quality and lead unique lives. Naturally, as you build your future, you bring more to the table, a career, children and a vision that eventually becomes your dream. Now back to this realist in my life who keeps me challenged in more ways than one, I have as an eclectic, learned to balance the colours and the black and white in life. As you grow with love, heartache, fear, and disappointment, success, prosperity, milestones, and struggles you do reach a point where you analyse deeper what it is that build your wealth, your stability, and your home. You form priorities, purpose and a plan to achieve what our parents have taught us as the right thing to do. Suddenly, your interpretation of beauty and the beast are a methodology that teaches you patience and how to tame the impatience in life. In fact, you finally work out that this thing called love and life it isn’t clear-cut at all. Wow, this becomes even more confusing as we now take note that not everyone thinks as we do. Suddenly, the world is enormous. We feel minuscule as we question the level of our worth compared to those who seem to have it all and achieved what appears to be more real than we ever will be. Does this mean that you give up and accept that we may have it all wrong? Is it time to convert and integrate with the sheep? No offense intended mind you, just a generalisation how our life may seem from outside of the norm. Confidence and stability become a little more inviting as we figure out how to pay our bills. However, with it, we find that in the real world, we are challenged to perform. To grow, apparently as an individual and rise with our mentors, targets, and growth, as it becomes all about stigma, status and competition, dexterity and wit and our
ticket for paying for our food; we certainly can’t argue with that. As patience is wearing weak and you become comfortable with the challenge you set yourself, to discover what the truth is? The Phoenix rises to the challenge that society has defined. Welcome to the rat race, the peer pressure of survival in an expensive life. How is this your chance to make it a little more sublime and bringing your deck of cards to the game of life? Over time, for those who probably relate to me perhaps in some aspects and not all – no two souls were ever meant to be the same. You find that you start to listen. That voice you ignored because you feared that the realists in this world would make a mockery of your thoughts. As the suit and tie so to speak, as each profession is unique. White collar they are branded I believe, look down on you because the glitter and sparkle you might introduce in the colour palette of life belong in ‘la la land’ and are not in line with the rules of education, research and stability. To me, real is appreciating that I have a voice and it counts. Real is watching others struggle in a world that is so different for so many people. Real is learning traits from both those who have made it and those who stepped back, neither a success nor a failure. We are all different, and we learn from each other. Real is acknowledging that people are people, as we appreciate all individuals. It is stepping into the world that belongs to all of us and not just the ones who feel superior because apparently, they worked it out. Real is nature and the animal kingdom we love. They have both shared earth the same time as us, correction they were here before us. Real is the politics in our lives, the challenges and hard work, the criticism and the questions, building our countries in a world economy so competitive and disrespectful? Real is the music that artists encourage us to feel as they bring us together and unite us in life. Real is the art in our lives, the
“The best support you could ever offer someone is to simply keep it real.” eYs Magazine
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colours, the passion, the expressions and the art of life. Real is the generation we live in, 2018 that soon will leave. Real are the love and the lack of being loved. Real is family, the strangers we may be. Real is our children who were once you and me. Real is traveling and different cultures that bring wealth in gifts from their ancestors. Real is the education to appreciate the past and help tomorrow along. Real is disease and illness, research and innovation, technology and social media, science and the universe. It is all of it, the struggles and the poverty, the limelight and making history. Real is discovery and emotions and life. Real is you and I. To me bringing the balance of sorting the priorities in my life combined with the beauty to be alive, the uncertainty, the emotions and that it’s okay to feel lost. It is all of this and more. Hence, when I see a realist, I respect them because that’s who they are. My real is perhaps one filled with questions that may never have an answer. The fact that being able to step up and say I am real, I don’t know how it all works. I am learning, and I am trying my best to be a mother, a wife, and a mentor. Next time, you step out and fear to be 32
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you, trust your energy. You have the right to expression and your thoughts. Don’t let anyone, or any company, life coach or mentor teach you what and how. Absorb their values, process their knowledge, acknowledge their success, respect their position and take what will be the reality in your life. Use it to teach them how together it all forms a mould. You learn from them, the power of the mind. They learn from us that they were once us. Connecting to different groups of people and networks, different goals, different dreams, different aspirations, and uniqueness is maybe a start. However, learning to respect that we are individuals and not a number, a commodity or profit. Recognizing our values and our visions, success and our setbacks. Recognizing our right to say how we feel and listen. Most of all – It is the respect that we are all engineered to perform at our own pace, which defines REAL. To the one in my heart, that seems shell-shocked how I dare see life this way? The one that society appears to acknowledge as aspiring, successful and having your head “screwed on.” After 27 years, it’s rather interesting that
you have stuck by the colorful like me? I guess it goes both ways, which proves the importance of sharing each other’s dream. So, maybe real is that we bounce off each other and keep us both in line. It is consistent I think, with society too as all the mirage of personalities create this place we call earth. When you listen to what’s not said and hear its message so loud, you may open your world to so much more than even you may be ready. Perhaps even a prodigy of yourself. Don’t fear what comes across as gospel; it’s a reflection of control and assurance cementing stability and protocol. Or is perhaps protocol in truth the secret code of security attracting knowledge and awareness from the tiny fish in the sea that could never work out why they could never climb a tree. “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein It is the respect – that we are all engineered to perform at our own pace, which defines a realist. The aim of a race is about winning indeed. I’m just a little confused since when did my life become a race?
ANITA RACHELLE IMAGERY Anita Rachelle Imagery By Anita Roe
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y passion for jewellery designing lead towards a new and exciting passion in my life. Photography! Anita Rachelle Imagery was born in 2016 after working with amazing models that were showcasing my jewellery designs and various local fashion designers. While admiring the various styles of many incredible photographers, I came across Sue Bryce, a world renowned, portrait photographer from very humble beginnings, not unlike myself. Totally mesmerised with her style of photography and approach, Sue Bryce became my mentor when I
made the decision to take her photography education course and since then, I haven’t looked back. My photography has evolved incredibly over the last two years and there is nothing more exciting that receiving recognition from well known, and talented photographers when they see my pictures. Pictures provide precious memories of birth, marriage, anniversaries, holidays and all those happy and sad moments in between. My humble light set-up came to life when I had the opportunity to photograph a very lovely and inspiring young woman in my own home studio. The images of Deepti
in bold red and black and vivid white with a softer profile are among my favourite photographic achievements. Natural light photography has always been my preference however I love experimenting with different elements of light and surroundings. Having settled back into my hometown of Toowoomba, I am very keen to take advantage of the amazing scenery and local backdrops and I am already working on upcoming projects with some amazing local creatives to produce some exciting new photographic images. They say a picture says a thousand words and a camera never lies. I find this to be true. Every image that I take absorbs me and sometimes I find myself becoming lost right in the spirit and heart of what I have visually captured. I hope you like what you see.
Credits: Anita Rachelle Imagery
Visually yours, Anita Rachelle Imagery
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FASHION, JEWELLERY AND ACCESSORIES
FASHION M ZEN STYLE My Passion is Fashion By Elizabeth Simonsen
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y name is Elizabeth Simonsen. My name is Elizabeth Simonsen, and I am a fashion stylist. I’m 53 years old and have been separated for two years from my husband of 24 years. I am the mother of a gorgeous son Connor, 21 and a talented daughter, Maddie, 18. I live in Townsville, North Queensland where the sun always shines. I have a degree in Education and Art and am the proud owner of FASHION ZEN STYLE. A place of fashion, style, soul and self, where I help empower women to embrace and be the best version of themselves. As a fashion stylist, my passion is to make every woman and mum feel beautiful and special. I’ve always loved clothes, ever since I was a little girl. I still remember the first gorgeous red, shiny Mary Jane shoes I had when I was seven years old. I felt transformed, magical like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. I had very glamorous Spanish parents. I used to admire my mother’s beautiful maxi’s, beehive hairdo and luxury fur coat. Plus, all the jewellery. Europeans love jewellery. I’m writing this first edition of EYS laying on my back in bed. Not because I’m lazy but because for the last four months, I’ve suffered from post viral reactive arthritis in the sacral joints. This means I have been in constant pain in the hip bottom area. I can’t sit for more than a few minutes, walk for a few minutes and drive for a few minutes. I’m virtually housebound and haven’t been able to go anywhere to sit for a coffee, lunch, movies. You get the picture. It came on after a bout of flu. I had been both physically and emotionally exhausted. The break-up of my marriage left me shattered, broken,
“I help empower women to embrace and be the best version of themselves”.
anxious and depressed. I thought we would grow old together. One minute we were celebrating our wedding anniversary, the next he was gone. I’ve also have had Chronic Fatigue for the last 15 years. I’m not telling you this so you’ll feel sorry for me but to show you that despite all of it, I am still doing what I love. I’m still fighting. I’m still finding joy in my fashion and writing this column for eYs Magazine. Clothes became my saviour. They helped me transform into who I wanted to be. On days when I couldn’t or didn’t want to get out of bed, I would lie there and think. What will I wear today? I need energy. I will wear my cute red shift dress. I am depressed.
What about the sunny yellow top and white pants to cheer me up? I’m feeling anxious. Blue from head to toe today. You get the picture. I was the blank canvas each morning and I could be whoever I choose to be that day and trick the mind. Fake it till you make it I say Because I felt the power of dressing well I started my own fashion Styling business so I could share my secrets, helping women dress to feel good about themselves, to learn to love and accept their body shape. To work within their budget. To be adventurous and try new styles. I love to see the transformation in my ladies
when they looked in the mirror and said “yes, I love how I look, and I love who I am.” I’m not snobby about where my clothes come from. Of course, we all love expensive items but you can find amazing clothes and fits in cheaper stores and second-hand stores. Style is not exclusive to the rich. I love to get lost in a Vinnies or lifeline store. You never know what treasure you are going to unearth. What lost gem that needs discovering and bought back to life. Breathing life once again into something that was once treasured. Over the coming issues I hope to share with you my secrets for style and fashion and how every mum can feel fabulous regardless of budget or shape.
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HOME DECORE
COVER ME SWEET The Art of Décor By Tina Di Bella
Where Did Interior Design Originate? So, where did Interior Design originate you may ask? It dates back to the days of the caveman era where the only thing they could decorate were the walls of their caves. You will notice in documentaries from that era; the walls decorated with actual paintings. What did they paint? The caveman painted what they could see, such as plants, animals, nature, and, other cavemen, and women. Since the age of time, the use of animal skins, sculptures, and vases used to highlight simple pieces of furniture. Then came the wall paintings, the matching curtains, and chairs, the mosaic flooring, all of which were contributing factors to interior decorating. As the centuries passed the interest in interior design grew, and people now hired to decorate homes. Soon, recognised as a profession and the dawn of successful career’s in Interior Decorating. How Does Interior Designing Fit into Our Society?
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In today’s society, our lives are busy with schedules, pressures, and stresses; we need to come home to a space that helps us unwind and escape the daily grind. A space to feel happy and at peace. Our Haven. The surroundings in your home can reflect your mood and your attitudes. It is imperative when you style your home it reflects your personality and a place you can call your own. You do not want it to look like a page out of a magazine instead of a space that features your likes, colours, and decor and your personality. Use products and decorative items that may have sentimental value to you or are bright and cheerful. A place where you and your family can relax and feel comfortable. In the last few years, reality television shows such as ‘The Block, House Rules, and Changing Rooms’ have showcased how easy it is to renovate and style our own homes. It has shown us that the style of a room can be transformed by changing the colour palette and adding décor items such as rugs, throws and scatter cushions. Cushions are an effortless and inexpensive way to add style to any room of your home. Mixing and matching colours matter and can transform a room. Dim lighting can create a romantic mood
and scented candles and oil burners with relaxing fragrances can create a peaceful ambiance to your surrounds. Relaxation music inspires inner peace and is beneficial for Mind, Body, and Soul. Potted plants such as palms and ferns, may find a home in a bare corner and improve the look of a room. Some plants also have health benefits which are a bonus. Some outdoor areas flow from our indoor spaces and seem as if you are bringing the beauty of the outside within. Open plan living is a great feature in a home; where family and friends come together in the living room and see you in the kitchen preparing their delicious meal. A lot more people are now house proud and are more interested in entertaining in their own homes as opposed to going out to restaurants and clubs. Even our outdoor areas are decorated, and furniture is not complete without scattering cushions that feature bright colour combinations. As you can tell, I love Cushions, and I am the creator and designer of Décor Products, my specialty ‘Decorator Cushions.’ Welcome to ‘Cover Me Sweet,’ proudly operating for three years.
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BOOKS - REVIEW
JUNE EDITION With Melissa Bell and Jordin Thiele
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his is the first edition of eYs, and I would like to dedicate this month to some of the books that started it all for me. When I was growing up, I detested reading up until I turned twelve. Then one Friday night I started to watch ‘To Kill A Mocking Bird’ on T.V. I became so caught up in the story of Boo Radley that I almost cried when my mum told me it was long past my bedtime. Unfortunately, that was way before we had the technology of video recorders which meant I wouldn’t know how the movie ended. Let’s just say even back then I was headstrong and determined. I tiptoed back out to the living room and turned the volume down so low you could barely hear it before I turned the television back on to resume watching the movie. I sat there crying my heart out at some ridiculous time after midnight. Oh, and I did get caught by my mother when she was woken up by the flickering lights as they made their way down the hall and into her bedroom. A month later we went on a family holiday to the Gold Coast, and due to torrential rain, we spent most of the time inside. My mother suggested that my sister and I go for a walk up to the shops to see if we could find something to occupy ourselves. I found a second-hand bookstore, and when the woman behind the counter asked if
there was something, in particular, I was looking for? I said the first thing that came to mind. Yes, you guessed it, I asked if they had a copy of ‘To Kill A Mocking Bird.’ Much to my delight, they did and as I readied to pay for it, I spotted the cover of a book that I had seen on displays at the expensive bookstores at a quarter of the price. So that day I discovered how great secondhand bookstores were and that when I read it’s like watching a movie inside my head. The other couple of books I bought were from Virginia Andrews who I later found out had died some years before. A few years after reading ‘Flowers in the Attic’ they made it into a movie. Well wasn’t that just the worst thing they could ever do to a book. Up until then, I had waited religiously for the once a year publication of another one of her books. In the meantime, I became addicted to reading and my choice of reading material changed as I got older. That’s when I came across Anne Rice’s ‘Interview with a Vampire,’ and a whole new world of literature was revealed. When I became a mother my life was so busy, and I was always so tired I never had the time to read. The moment I tried someone needed me, or I fell asleep after reading three sentences. However, as my children got older, I managed to re-discover the absolute joy I got from
reading. No matter what kind of day I had, I could escape into the pages of a book. At one point I hadn’t watched television in over two years because the worlds I read about were vastly more vivid and so much more entertaining than anything on T.V. In the coming months, we hope that you will find something that makes you appreciate the beauty of words. Whether it be a new author you haven’t heard of or read before, or perhaps something fresh from one of your favourites. Join us as we talk about books. Let’s talk about the R+ Word If the Romance Genre is one of the major players in the industry then why are women so reluctant to admit to reading it. Is it something about being seen in public with a cover that displays a scantily clad male torso. Which pretty much screams romance or erotica. Now days it’s much easier to read in public with today’s ever developing technology. To any average passer-by it would simply appear as though you are reading whatever you wish to tell them you’re reading to avoid the embarrassment. So why do women read romance novels? Find out in our next issue…
“I STARTED TO WATCH ‘TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD’ ON T.V. I BECAME SO CAUGHT UP IN THE STORY OF BOO RADLEY THAT I ALMOST CRIED WHEN MY MUM TOLD ME IT WAS LONG PAST MY BEDTIME”. 38
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I asked if they had a copy of ‘To Kill A Mocking Bird.’ Much to my delight, they did and as I readied to pay for it, I spotted the cover of a book that I had seen on displays at the expensive bookstores at a quarter of the price.
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FOCUS ON BUSINESS Written by Jasmina Siderovski VACCI Estate Agents VAL ZAHARIEVSKA TALKS TO US ABOUT HER NEW BRAND IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY
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ne of the most challenging decisions is launching your brand as you battle sleepless nights on end determined that you should be your boss. As anything in life, there are risks involved and the cultivating domino effect of excitement, anxiety, pride and passion that embellishes your life forever. Your brand becomes you, everything you represent and the face of your business regardless where or what you may be doing. Women, have made a significant impact in the business industry and challenging the traditional values changing the way we do business in the 21st Century. Along with risk, there are key areas that need focus as your new business venture launches, and your branding makes a solid appearance amongst the thousands of established agencies in the real estate industry. Your asset is your investment as the housing market plays Russian Roulette with the talk of a housing bubble, yet the market continues to hike the prices of the homes in Sydney. The uncertainty of Australian house prices and the housing bubble, over the last few years, have been a centrepiece for conversation at dinner in many Australian households. A vast array of factors determine the consequences of house price increases and decreases; such as key economic indicators, government spending and regulations, inflation, unemployment, trade, consumer spending, banks, interest rates and other. To make a responsible assessment of the outcomes during a housing bubble, we need to observe the process that drives the house prices and activity. Factors of a Housing Bubble There
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indicators
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economists and statisticians use to assess the vulnerability of a housing bubble and determine the success of growth in the Australian economy. The imbalance of house prices, through supply and demand created through over-lending by the banks, means that households build equity, the savings passed on to the investor and use this to their advantage. The expected profit is more than the interest paid to the banks where interest rates aren’t a successful profit tool for the banks. Income and spending patterns become volatile and affect bank borrowing costs. This can force interest rates to rise, including any outside uncertainties that also cause an interest rate increase. The recent banking enquiry by the royal commission is of vital importance and play’s a factor for a burst in the housing bubble. Corruption and high household debt are being recognised as regulators set in place to monitor and fix these problems. The commission will safeguard against borrowing, and bank funding costs rise as it eats into the Reserve Bank of Australia rate cuts. Outside factors such as trade and uncertainty through other economies like China and America, lead to global risk, which also can affect the Australian housing market. This leads to inflation, a drop-in unemployment rates, and our level of expenditure in the trade industry as exchange rates become too high for business and trade. The expense is then passed on to the consumer and into the economy. Another indicator is the Australia House Price Index (HPI). In Australia, the House Price Index measures a weighted average of price movements for residential properties for eight capital cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart,
Find us at www.vacci.com.au
Darwin and Perth. Residential properties are defined as detached residential dwellings on their block of land regardless of age. The HPI for 2018 outlines the pattern of house prices, countrywide in the last five years, 2014 to 2018. According to the latest statistics in the chart below, by the Australian Bureau of Statistics last updated May 2018, the housing bubble has been a consistent reaching the peak in 2014, 2016 and end of 2017. Despite the drops towards the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2018, the bubble seems to be indicative of a price rise pattern through the other periods. Latest real estate auction results and market supply have also shown an increase in the number of houses offered for sale in the market. It could mean people are wanting to jump on the bandwagon and profit in the already over-inflated house prices or are struggling with mortgage repayments and looking to downsize in their level of debt commitment. Either way, the increase in supply is one of the many factors that have contributed to a fall in house prices. What does this mean for future house prices? The delivery of the May 2018 Federal Budget has given confidence regarding economic stability within Australia by its forecast of reducing external debt, decreasing taxes, increasing employment and funding in health, education, Medicare, national security, and business. Although our housing prices are already over-inflated and provide no hope for the younger generation, one has to wonder if the Australian house price bubble is a disaster waiting to burst, all bubbles burst. Even though this is a conservative forecast by the economists, it may only be a temporary burst as the Australian economy balances; perhaps the market will be an invitation for outside investment which will re-introduce the housing bubble within the next two years. VAL ZAHARIEVSKA a young business woman, has after many years selling homes working for other real estate agencies, picked up the tools, tips, tricks and secrets creating a difference for developing a brand, and a business in an overwhelming cluster of competitive agencies. Her, can do attitude, passion and determination to grow a successful brand, establish a clientele, and network within the industry has given her the head start required in a ruthless world. Val, reveals her motivation for creating VACCI Estate Agents and talks to eYs Magazine about the key to success. What led you to become a real estate agent? At 15, I wanted to become a hairdresser. After I finished school, my parents were against long hours and standing on my feet. My parents have experience buying and selling property and used an agent for all of their real estate needs. However, appreciating my interest to work in this field, they spoke to Goran, their agent, if I could work after school and weekends at the agency. I started work in the real estate industry at 15 years old. I liked it after a few weeks, my boss recognised my interested and involved me in small tasks for property management and sales. At 16, I did a selective subject at TAFE, once a week through my school - property services, during year 11 and 12. After completing year 12, I enrolled at a private college and completed my eYs Magazine
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“I PLAN TO GROW THE VACCI BRAND WITH A SALES TEAM TOGETHER WITH A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TEAM AND EXPAND MY OFFICE. TO MAKE IT A WELL-KNOWN BRAND NOT ONLY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, BUT WORLDWIDE”.
Real Estate Business Diploma. During my course; I did voluntary work at a local agency to gain practical experience on the job. I learnt about property management and sales, but I was more drawn to the sales roles. I loved the sales process, meeting new people all the time, getting to work with and understand different characters and being part of peoples most valuable transaction. Every day differed from the one before. So, this is how I became interested in real estate and now love working as an agent and wouldn’t have it any other way. Why did you open your agency? The real estate industry doesn’t have a good name in the eyes of the public; people refer to agents as deceiving and dishonest people that only want to make a sale. I want to change the way real estate agents are looked upon. I want people to see that we are honest, trustworthy and caring for our clients and that we have the interest of the community at heart. I also want to change the way the agency rewards team members for their hard work and long hours they put in behind the scenes. Many people think that being an agent is an easy gig, however, don’t see what goes into listing and selling a property, leasing, managing an investment from the prospecting database, relationship building, long hours and inspecting properties, etc. The reason I opened my agency is that I want to change the industry. I have worked with many brands and learned the do’s and don’t. VACCI Estate Agents takes a can-do approach. It’s about developing future agents. I believe a leader is just as good as their staff; a company is no one without their customers that help build the name. Being a role model for other agencies means we are prepared to work with the change in the times and the way we operate a business. Can you walk us through the process of developing your brand VACCI? The Vacci brand was created through brainstorming and getting ideas and opinions from other people; I wanted to build an iconic brand that would be catchy, sheik, modern and people would like to see, hear, and talk about with their friends and family and become a household name. By posting several names via social media I noted the responses by different people. My new brand had to have a V in the title to represent my name. I also looked at other brands that inspired me. I wanted to be original because that’s what we are about, making a difference and being unique. Did you encounter any difficulties during your transition from working for someone else and becoming your boss? The only difficulty I uncounted was that I had to leave my database behind. Building 42
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my database from scratch with names and addresses, I had built up over the years working for other agency brands was something that had an impact on me. However, I am fortunate that I have built a good reputation for myself by going that extra mile always for all of my customers. Fortunately, they have always found my contact details and contact me. Repeat business is the best business. Everything else was a natural transparent move as I have had previous experience in different roles in my 14 years of real estate experience. Working my way up from the bottom to the top. However, I believe that there is always room for improvement even when you may think everything is perfect. What is your five-year plan? I plan to grow the VACCI brand with a sales team together with a property management team and expand my office. To make it a well-known brand not only within the community, but worldwide. When investors from other countries come to Australia they are already familiar with the VACCI brand and the exceptional service provided. It will be a brand that agents would love to work within and be proud to wear the name on their card. ‘Go Big or Go Home,’ trust, honesty and loyalty is my motto, however, do it the right way and keep our customers happy and satisfied with world-class service. What are valuable lessons you have learned along the way in the real estate industry? Don’t judge a book by its cover; meaning don’t judge a person by the way they look or speak to you at one particular moment, you don’t know what they are going through in life, get to know them take time and be patient, there is always a reason for everything. Having worked in this industry for more than half my life already, I have learned many personalities and characters which give me the ability to communicate with different people to come to an understanding and try to help. A few others lessons would have to be, always listen to your instinct you know what is best for you, get advice but don’t take every advice. Listen more than you speak analysis the situation and step in people’s shoes before deciding. And always seek more prominent and better opportunities to grow with a wealth of knowledge and examples of life experiences. Watch what you do today because it could affect you in the long run. What do you offer your customers that put your branding above everyone else? VACCI offers the true meaning of world class customer service. Do as you preach. We don’t believe in words; we believe in actions. We don’t just say we care for our clients; we prove to our clients that we care about the situation they are in. Going
that extra mile may seem small but is a significant change in someone’s life. The experience we have gained in the industry gives us an advantage over the rest, the personal skills and understanding our customers to deliver a service second to none. We don’t limit ourselves to “job descriptions” we will go above and beyond to satisfy our customers, further our reputation and create repeat business. Genuinely, giving a helping hand and being part of people’s greatest assets is a much better reward when you know you have been part of that journey together. Reassuring our clients they are not alone, and we are there every step of the way, creating lasting relationships and friendships. During the growth of our Vacci brand, people with these characteristics will be carefully selected to represent the brand; we will look for people that are genuine, caring and do what it takes to be the agent people want to deal with, without having to think about their choices. To feel the real difference in the way real estate works come and experience it with us yourself. How does VACCI contribute to the community? VACCI Estate Agents give back to the community by organising yearly, Multiple sclerosis (MS) fundraising events and awareness in the community. I got involved in MS fundraising when I heard that a friend of mine has it. It’s close to my heart, the suffering and pain that these people with MS go through on a daily basis are unthinkable. There is still a lack of awareness throughout the world what MS is. During my involvement in fundraising, I have discovered more about the condition. I have researched this disease in more detail to inform the community, its symptoms, effects it has on that person and also their family, and friends. I have met many people with different symptoms that MS can cause-and-effect people in different ways. It’s about awareness and giving a helping hand. Sharing the love and hope to find a cure. We organise fundraising events to donate, raise funds, help and show that we care about the people in our community. I’m sure each of us knows at least one person living with MS. Our involvement and getting others involved, I believe we are all one step closer to finding a cure. We are also looking at sponsoring local schools and clubs soon to give that extra supporting hand within our community because we believe that our youth are our future. Is there any advice you would like to offer anyone else who wants to start their branding/business venture? My advice to all is if you dream it then do it, don’t be afraid of what will happen as none of us knows what the next day could bring. If you want something, then put your mind to it, and it will happen for you. Don’t
listen to what others feel or think, I have had many people say, “Are you sure you want to open your agency, a brand that isn’t established?” My response has always been with a smile and confidence YES, I have dreamt for this for over ten years now and now is the time. So don’t hesitate, do what makes you happy, and everything will work out when you do something that you love doing. Who is your inspiration and why? My biggest inspirations are my parents. When we migrated to Australia in 1990, my parents didn’t know a word of English nor where or what Australia is, with two young children age 5 and 3. They had to build a life for our family, living through and experience what my parents had to go through to establish a secure and stable presence for us. We came to Newcastle then moved to Melbourne until we settled in Sydney. My parents worked two jobs each, my dad a cleaner at the airport working 15-hour shifts and my mum sewing from home and cleaning at a shopping Centre. We came with one suitcase, and the other one got lost on the way to Australia. They started life from scratch, with no English and no opportunity or time to study the language. They had to start work to provide for my sister and me. Not knowing anyone they had to make friends fast to find a job, find a place to live and build a life here. When I started school, I understood no one because I only knew Macedonian, by the time I learnt English I had to repeat a grade and then go on to year one. As the years went by, I realised how hard everything had been for them. What they have had to go through for us to have a happy and secure childhood and future. Even though we had little, my parents never said no to anything we asked for, always gave us everything we needed and made things happen. My parents are a big inspiration in my life, they still understand and support me. They have a can-do attitude and will go out of their way not only for their family but others as well. I would remind myself if my parents managed to make it through the hardest of times with all the hurdles they have had to encounter, coming to a new place and going through what they have gone through, then what is stopping me within modern society? Nothing will or can stop me from making my dreams a reality, and I have full support and inspiration from my parents that is why I have taken this next step, opening and growing a business I love. When you like doing something, then you don’t have to work another day in your life. My parents are my ultimate inspiration and motivation to do well each day in every field of my life. It’s now time to give back to my parents for what they have done for us. They have always taught me to pay it forward, so this is my opportunity to give back to people when dealing with real estate. What is your favourite pastime when you aren’t working? When I am not working, I like to spend time with my family and friends, just a relaxing night out or lunch catch up with a friend, spontaneous things that are fun and exciting. I like to watch a movie, go for a walk or go shopping with my mum and spend quality time, just living a simple and peaceful life.
“WE GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY BY ORGANISING YEARLY, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) FUNDRAISING EVENTS AND AWARENESS”.
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Photography by Viktor Boshkovski
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Photography by Viktor Boshkovski
OUR MEMBERS MAYA APOSTOLOSKA THE ART OF LIFE
‘Graphic Artist - Conservation and Restoration, and Business Owner’
“I love cooking and creating art with food. I was honoured to cook and inspire artistic food visuals for the King and Queen of The Netherlands.” www.mayaapostoloska.daportfolio.com mayaapostoloska.deviantart www.treumannrenovatie.nl
Maya Apostoloska, 34. I am a proud mother of three boys. My passion is art and creating beautiful artwork, while adjusting to the needs of my children aged: five, two, and twomonths-old. At age 11, I won a State Award for creating realistic pop art (back then I didn’t’t understand that art can be ‘pop-art’). The art piece that won me the prestigious State Award, best described as human arms in the foreground with one of them holding a syringe, and a needle. The background ofthe-art piece highlighted a well-painted desert. I remember spending hours to achieve perfection creating my masterpiece. I called it: “The drug can make a desert of your life.” It’s now a special memory in my heart. Receiving the award was to be the beginning of my future and newfound confidence as an artist. Between the years of 2004 to 2006, I continued to receive recognition in the art industry and was honoured with more prestige awards throughout Europe. I was fortunate to host a ‘One-Woman Exhibition’, in Belgrade. I also moved from my home country of Macedonia to further explore the world. Further, I was fortunate to be a part of a group hosted exhibition in Kyoto, Japan. From there my art was celebrated with exhibitions throughout Serbia, Macedonia, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Romania, and The Netherlands. I also worked as a graphic designer in three Cultural Houses in Skopje, Macedonia and have a vast amount of experience in theatre scenography - working at the Universal Hall. Lastly, a significant honour for me was the opportunity to conserve a 16th Century Icon - Ss. Atanas - The Murals from Leshok, and a Dutch sculpture of Ss. Nike. I now own and operate a company, with my dear husband Zihni.
COSETTE AWAD A COSY CORNER
Author, Colour Consultant, and Thai Boxer Welcome to Cosy’s world. I am a writer, colour consultant, Thai Boxer and former snowboarder. The author of “A Dragonfly Diary,” and in the process of publishing my first ‘Contemporary Romance Fiction’ novel as a trilogy. Valentine’s Day was the day my mum passed away, after a horrible car accident. She was in a coma fighting for her life for six long months. She was a warrior. A brave one too who only had one dream. Her dream was to see my book published and succeed as a writer. Since I was 14, I knew all I wanted was to be a writer. I promised myself, one day, I would write a novel. Now, I am writing two. I have worked hard and never gave up to be where I am now. As they say, “We are writers, my love. We don’t cry. We bleed on paper.” 14 February 2018 was the day I vowed to myself, I will make my mama proud. Thanks to ‘eYs Magazine’ I now can describe a glimpse of how I see the world.
Instagram: @adragonflydiary FaceBook: adragonflydiary/ Author Cosette Awad – a dragonflydiary 46
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“Life never ceases to amaze me, and I am a firm believer that there is still magic in this world.”
LYNN BEAUMONT BEAU LA DIGITALS Graphic Designer and Business Owner
Lynn Beaumont is a self-taught graphic designer who has more than 15 years, experience. She has worked with computers and as a systems officer/retail for over 30 years in two different jobs both govt and retail. But she needed to expand her horizons and start her own business. So, she quit her job of 15 years to embark on a new business venture. She started her own business almost 6 years ago and works from home as a full time online graphic designer. She also completed small business management course that really helped her understand the structure side of business as well as her many years of retail experience. She has also incorporated a small printing business so not only does she design for the customer but can print off their order. Her husband also works from home and has his own business, so between the two of them they are kept quite busy. Her graphic design business takes her to all corners of the world and meets some very interesting people along the way. Her designs vary from vintage to modern and she loves to talk to all her customers from around the world. She dreams her designs and almost always uses them in her vwork for customers and her own creations.
“I dream my designs and almost always use them in my work for customers and my creations.” Etsy Main: www.etsy.com/au/shop/Beauladigitals Sister Shop: www.etsy.com/au/shop/BeaulaPrintables Facebook: beauladigitals Instagram: beauladigitals
MELISSA BELL AUTHOR International Best Selling Author
Melissa Bell lives in Brisbane, Australia. At a point in her life where she felt she needed something just for herself, she discovered the pleasures of writing. Her most frequently used comment to herself is there’s not enough time in a day. She enjoys good food and good company, when she’s not trying to concentrate on her writing. She also loves to laugh and most of the time, she cracks herself up. She is hoping that this is the start of something amazing and one day aspires to be listed amongst those blessed with the title of being on the New York Times and USA Today Best Seller.
“My world revolves around words and I see words in vibrant colours as they play together inside my head.”
Facebook Author Page: MelissaBellAuthor Goodreads: MelissaBellAuthor Amazon: amazon.com/Melissa-Bell/e/B00PC90RIE/ Twitter: @peekaboo2u2 www.melissabellauthor.com BookBub: www.bookbub.com/authors/melissa-bell eYs Magazine
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VIKTOR BOSKOVSKI PHOTOGRAPHY BY VIKTOR BOSHKOVSKI
‘Financial Analyst and Photographer’ Viktor Boshkovski, born and living in Macedonia, married to his wife Ole and both have a gorgeous three-year-old son, named Stefan. Educated at the State University - Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, gaining a Bachelor of Economics Degree. He works as a Financial Analyst, in the Risk Department, of NLB Bank in Skopje. His main hobbies include Photography and Nature Hiking. Viktor’s main passion is to capture the beauty that surrounds us all! Viktor’s motto: Everything happens for a reason, so be positive even in a negative situation.
“My passion is to capture the beauty that surrounds us in our everyday lives and remind the world how beautiful life is. Everything happens for a reason just remember to remain positive, even in a negative situation.” www.mayaapostoloska.daportfolio.com mayaapostoloska.deviantart www.treumannrenovatie.nl
TINA DI BELLA COVER ME SWEET
‘Owner and Operator, Business Woman and Designer’ Born in Ingham, a small sugarcane growing town in North Queensland, I am the youngest of two daughters’. Following Sicilian tradition, I was named after my grandmother, Santa. My Christian name is Santina, but I prefer being called Tina. I left high school mid-year of Grade 10 and worked in a pharmacy during the school holidays and offered a full-time position in a dispensary. That I spoke a second language helped. At a young age, I married my husband Sam, and we have two beautiful children. Our first born is Paul, followed by my daughter Claudia, whom I am very proud of my children’s achievements. Paul represented Australia at the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympic Games, in the 4x100M relay. He is now a PE Teacher. My daughter Claudia works in Business Banking and has achieved many awards in her career. She is also a successful Wedding Photographer and the mother of two beautiful children, Madison and Ethan. Married for 42 years, of those 35 years was working with my husband Sam in his Accountancy practice. A family run business, where I worked as a receptionist, computer operator, and manager. We sold our practice due to Sam’s ill health and moved to Townsville. We are a close-knit family, and I am blessed to have my children and grandchildren living close by. A Fabric Decor Business Specialising in Cushions
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“I love travelling, music, movies, having coffee catch-ups with friends, and most of all, spending time with family.”
DEBBIE KEMP LIFE COACH
‘Life Coach, Speaker and Business Woman’ Debbie Kemp is passionate about supporting people to create a more amazing life than they ever realised possible. An intuitive life coach, personal development coach, speaker and business owner, Debbie loves doing business in a way that’s tuned in to heart and soul and playing with amazing people who aren’t willing to settle for anything less than their heart’s greatest desires. Debbie is a mum and a wife, and she’s lived a fascinating health journey that led to an empowering exploration of self. She’s out to impact the planet in the most loving, compassionate and transformative way possible!
“Be intentional with your thoughts and feelings, and with how you spend your time, for this will create your life! FaceBook: Debbie Kemp Instagram: @debbiekemp www.debbiekemp.com.au
DEME McDONALD MAXAUS BEAUTY
‘Scientist, Business Woman and Motivational Speaker’ Deme McDonald was born and raised in Compton, California during the height of the urban crisis in the 1980s. Immersed in a city of civil, social, and spiritual unrest she identified a resilience, hope and joy within herself and the community in the midst of the turbulence. Deme currently lives in the northern suburbs of Sydney, Australia with her two sons and partner. She holds a Bachelor is Science in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine and is a Certified Manager of Quality for Operational Excellence through the American Society of Quality. Deme has focused on that inner strength often masked by circumstance and celebrates the unrelenting courage born from being in harmony with your true spirit which resonates in her writing.
“I use mindfulness, being in the moment, and listening to my true spirit to guide me through life’s challenges, divinely orchestrated to propel me forward to live the life designed for me with compassion, joy, and passion.”
www.maxaus.com.au eYs Magazine
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JULIE MICHELS BIG LOVE and MAGIC
‘Bookkeeper, Reiki Practitioner, and Business Owner’ A seeker, and lover of light, an introvert, and a complex creature with a vivid curiosity for exploring my inner Universe. My passion for uplifting and inspiring others, seeing people become the best versions of themselves through compassion, nature, laughter, and warmth, embrace all of who I am. The symbol of love, faith and hope, align my purpose of sharing the joy and connecting with my truth as we find the light that shines within. I hope to discover my path and trust the process with love and kindness in my heart. My story unfolds as divine love flows, and ‘Big Love and Magic,’ a novel yet to be written. Sharing my inner whispers and inspire others to find their truth and shine too, along with your stories and experiences. Join me on this journey of ‘Big Love and Magic’ to uplift and inspire, as you inspire me.
“I come into alignment with who I really am, my true self, the love that I am.”
I call Newcastle home with my husband, son and pooch soul-friend, Lola.
Instagram: @hands_on_energy www.solutionhub.com.au
NATALIE O’CONNOR IN MY LIFE
‘Photographer, Business Woman, Author and Traveller’ My name is Natalie O’Connor and I am a woman, wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. I am a photographer, business woman, traveller and writer. I enjoy expressing my creativity and making a difference. I love spending time with my family and friends and being in nature. After high school I went to The University of Sydney and completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology and Performance Study. All the while I worked, sometimes two jobs, as I really wanted to pay my own way. I also studied martial arts and photography. After University, I started my own business in photography. I photographed children and I really loved it. But I found that my business skills were lacking, so I enrolled into a Master of Business Administration at the University of Technology Sydney. It was then that I fell in love with Strategic Management. It bought out the analytical side of me and it became a strength of mine. Business consulting soon followed with a global firm. Then environmental consulting became a big interest in my world, as did completing a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science at the University of New South Wales. Alas I found that the world of environmental consultants (at that time) was a far cry from arranging cogeneration plants and my work life became about arranging recycling bins in companies. This just didn’t inspire me. So, I went back to consulting, on a contractual basis. I then worked in the family business while I was pregnant with my son, something that I thoroughly enjoyed and which I am still apart of today. When my son was born, I just knew I couldn’t and didn’t want to return to consulting work. Once my daughter was born, I knew there must be something more besides work as I knew it. So now I’m following what inspires me.
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“Someone once told me that it was really important to focus on the ordinary things in life and find wonder in them, because if you don’t you will always seek out extraordinary things in order to be impressed by.”
ANITA ROE NEETZ DESIGNZ
‘Jewellery Designer, Business Woman, and Photographer’ The Neetz Designz handmade jewellery studio was established in 2003 in my hometown Toowoomba, Queensland, the sunshine state of Australia. According to my Mother, I was stringing beads at the age of five, so I guess you could say jewellery designing is my calling. My promise to my clients is to produce definitive, signature jewellery with a purpose. Created with quality materials and keeping with my Meraki Earth mantra, my jewellery contains a reflection of myself, my heart and my soul, in every piece of jewellery. When you purchase Neetz Designz, be assured that you will be wearing a unique, signature piece of jewellery like no other. My commitment to my clients is to design original, one of a kind jewellery rather than following the “trend designer” crowd. I have also followed my passion for photography and nowadays, nearly all the images featured on my website and social media are proudly created by me. Sue Bryce, a world-renowned portrait photographer, was my mentor and being involved in her photography learning workshop is the best decision I ever made. To me, being creative is a gift and an art that should be shared with the world.
“Creativity feeds my heart and soul and inspires me to pay it forward and make my clients happy.” FaceBook: Neetz Designz Instagram: @neetz_designz_jewellery www.neetzdesignz.com
JASMINA SIDEROVSKI EDITOR IN CHIEF EMPOWERING YOUR SOUL ‘Author, Founder/Director, Business Woman and Influencer
“Be remembered for the right reasons. Leave a legacy and a smile in your heart beyond life.”
I am a mum of two beautiful boys, soul mate to an amazing man of 27 years, and blessed to live in beautiful Sydney, Australia. My lessons learned, experience, and social etiquette have enabled me to Found “Empowering Your Soul.” Known for my motivating, and inspiring original quotes, and recognized by social media, and corporate giants, supporting my mission to inspire, through words we can relate, staying true to ourselves. Anne Geddes, published one of my quotes in her 2014 release, ‘Little Blessings.’ Alaska Airlines, highlighted one of my quotes, in their official ‘Brand Guidelines’ manual and Highpoint University, USA, featured one of my quotes on the front cover of the University Legacy Brochure as their Legacy. I am proud to be the Founder/Director and Editor in Chief of our new inspiring monthly publication ‘eYs Magazine – Empowering Your Soul.’
FaceBook Author: Jasmina Siderovski - Empowering Your Soul Anecdotes, and Quotes Instagram: @jasmina_siderovski_author_eys www.empoweringyoursoul.com Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/JasminaSiderovski/e/B07BV72TQC eYs Magazine
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ELIZABETH SIMONSEN FASHION ZEN STYLE ‘Fashion Stylist and Teacher’
My name is Elizabeth Simonsen. I am a 53-year-old mother of two beautiful grown-up adults. I live in beautiful Townsville, North Queensland where the sun always shines. I have a Degree in Education and Art and am the proud owner of Fashion Zen Style, a place of fashion, style, soul, and self where I help empower women to embrace and be the best version of themselves. As a fashion stylist, my passion is to make every woman and mum feel beautiful and special.
“You never know what treasure you are going to unearth!” Facebook: Fashion Zen Style Instagram: @elizabeth_simonsen
JORDIN THIELE
‘Proud Indie Author’ J. Thiele lives in Brisbane, Australia. She writes in a variety of genres, ranging from paranormal romance, old fashioned who did it – Detective novels and most recently has broadened her scope with the addition of writing horror. She finds writing therapeutic and centering which tends to balance out her energetic personality, and the occasional bout of insomnia. Although she has realized that writing horror at night can raise your blood pressure when you see a movement out of the corner of the eye. It’s all too easy to scare oneself half to death.
FaceBook: AuthorJ.Thiele www.authorjthiele.com Goodreads: J_Thiele Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/J.-Thiele/e/ B00XW8S6LM/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_10 52
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“Sometimes the best stories start at the beginning and sometimes they start at the end.”
LIDIJA TOMEVSKA INSPIRATIONAL TEACHING WITH LIDIJA
‘English Teacher, Translator and Second Language Teacher’
A passionate English language teacher who uses her experience and knowledge to provide creative and original approach in the field of EFL teaching. Her interest is second language acquisition pedagogy with focus on pre-school and early school second language skill development.
“By sharing my thoughts on learning English as a second language, hopefully, I would be able to bring my teaching world closer to all enthusiastic learners and thus introduce amazing new ways to learn a foreign language.”
www.herc.com.mk
OUR SPONSORS A Dragonfly Diary
Cover Me Sweet
Anita Rachelle Imagery
Debbie Kemp Empowering Your Soul
MaxAus Beauty Neetz Designz
Author J Thiele Fashion Zen Style Author Melissa Bell
Natalie O’Connor Photography
Hands on Energy Beau La Digitals Blissful Butterfly Accessories
Nettie’s Knits Herc Exclusive – Centre for Foreign Language and Computer Education
Viktor Boshkovski Photography eYs Magazine
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Photography by Viktor Boshkovski
