Blossoms for Spring

Happy Spring Day for those of us below the equator! I came across a beautifully floral editorial from the July issue of Elle Sweden. I’m sure you’ll agree that there is something very special about the Japanese styling of this shoot: the patterned kimonos and delicate blossoms make such an inspiring statement for the beginning of a new season and an emergence out of a chilly winter!

Magazine: Elle Sweden July 2011
Model: Josefine Ekman Nilsson
Photographer: Joel Rhodin

via noirfacade

Cose della vita ....

                                                                                                CLICK TO SEE MORE

                                                                                                ph. Daniela Pizzurro

                                                                                                ph. Ettore Manfredi

Last Friday, i had chance to meet one lovely couple from Italy, Daniela Pizzurro and Ettore Manfredi (you can check their websites and see their works). Both are photographers but with different interests, Daniela loves fashion and Ettore's big passion is reportage. They were on trip through Balkan countries and their last stop was Belgrade, where they spent the afternoon with me. :) They choose Kalemgdan ( place with lot of history) for photoshoot, and my choice was by the river, under one of our bridges and on it. The main reason for this little "project" was Daniela's curiosity, cause she never made fashion shooting outside Italy, and she thought that this would be a great opportunity to try. She started small " google research", looking for a fashion bloggers  from Belgrade, and that's how she found and choose me!:) Soon after that, i received email from her, we arranged our meeting, and now you have chance to see the results!
It was a really hot windy day, so i decided to wear floral dress with simple blue shirt, Bally flats,  cat eye sunglasses and probably one of my favorite bag this year, from Aldo. Simple, but still comfortable, i choose this instead of some elegant clothes, because this represents me, and what i wear on daily basis.
Should i say how much i love these photos, and how talented Daniela is? Even its the same outfit on them, i feel like every photo has some story  behind and i still can't decide which one is my favorite! Can you?
Huge thanks to Daniela and Ettore for spending great Friday afternoon and for making beautiful photos!
In the next post, you will see the second part with different outfit so keep following me ... ;)

 .... da počnemo ... ;)
Prošlog petka sam imala priliku da upoznam divan par iz Italije, Daniella Pizzurro i Ettore Manfredi, oboje fotografi ali sa raličitim interesovanjima  (Danielina strast su modne fotografije, dok Ettore voli reportažne), koji su putovali balkanskim zemljama, a Beograd je bio njihova poslednja stanica u kome su jedno popodne proveli sa mnom. :) Kalemgdan je bio njihov izbor za slikanje, dok sam ja imala želju da to učinimo pored reke, kako ispod, tako i na Brankovom mostu ( drugi deo ćete videti u narednom postu)... Glavni razlog ove "saradnje" je bila Danielina znatiželja, jer  nikada do sada nije pravila modne fotografije izvan Italije, a Beograd joj se učinio kao dobro mesto da se u tome i oproba. Modna blogerka je za nju bila najbolje rešenje ( kažu da volimo fotoaparate ;) ) , pa je krenula u "google potragu", a ja sam bila njen izbor! Nakon donete odluke, usledio je mejl, mesto sastanka ugovoreno, a rezultate upravo gledate ... :)
Dan je bio neverovatno topao i vetrovit , pa sam se odlučila za prijatnu dugu haljinu, jednostavnu košulju koju sam zavezala u čvor, Bally sandale, "cat eye" naočare i verovatno moju omiljenu torbu ove godine, iz Alda ( sve komade znate iz ranijih postova ) ... Želela sam da ponesem nešto što inače nosim, prikažem svakodnevno oblaačenje,  pa je to jedan od glavnih razloga zbog čega nisam odabrala nešto elegantnije.
 Da li je potrebno da vam kažem koliko mi se dopadaju fotografije i da sam oduševljenja?! :) I pored toga što je isti outfit, slike su totalno drugačije i čini mi se da svaka ima neku priču i još uvek ne mogu da odlučim koja mi je favorit! Možete li vi? :)

Hvala vam na svim divnim komentarima, čitala sam ih sa zadovoljvstvom i osmehom na licu, učinili ste da onako lep dan postane još bolji! :*

Do women choose the fear of aging over health?

Photo via We Heart It

Every night at five o'clock I watch the news. I like to believe that I'm staying current with world events, or keeping an eye out for potential weather disasters, or even following local community news. Truthfully, I'm most interested in those salacious stories that come at the end of the newscast. You know - the ones which are solely focused on the seemingly innocent things in our environment that could kill us. Last night, for example, my local news screeched the terrifying prospect of coma and death if I didn't clean out my medicine cabinet. Eating microwave popcorn could KILL ME, it warned. Drinking too much water? Get ready for kidney failure, impaired breathing and ZOMG brain swelling. Even the simple act of packing my kids lunchboxes in the morning is fraught with danger.It's enough to make one consider a life spent breathing in purified oxygen in a plastic bubble tent, because WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE TERROR IN THE STREETS START STOCKPILING ANTIBIOTICS RIGHT NOW OR ELSE AAAARRRGGHHHH!

I suppose we all do things, wittingly or not, that could potentially harm us. Whether it's eating french fries, smoking, tanning, riding a bike without a helmet or keeping cosmetics past their recommended usage date, we take chances and court risks. We know that smoking and leading a sedentary lifestyle are bad for us. And yet there we are, lying out in the sun and couch surfing to our heart's content.

Last week, there was a delightful little read over at the Huffington Post which warned that the mere act of having good hair could kill you. Wha? Surgeon general Regina M. Benjamin recently warned attendees of the Bronner Bros. International Hair Show in Atlanta, Georgia that women who skip exercising in order to protect their hairstyles should focus more on their health. "Oftentimes you get women saying, 'I can't exercise today because I don't want to sweat my hair back or get my hair wet,' said Dr. Benjamin. "When you're starting to exercise, you look for reasons not to, and sometimes the hair is one of those reasons."

Multiple studies have shown that women focus more on their looks than they do on their health. A survey conducted last year by East Tennessee State University found that women are more likely to buy products that ward off "age spots" than skin cancer. According to Sociological Images, the study at East Tennessee State University found that "if you want to get women to stop using tanning beds, warning them about the risk of skin cancer isn’t nearly as effective as warning them about the risk of age spots and other forms of damage to their appearance." And a recent report shows that women spend way more on beauty products than health care: $540 a month on hair products, make-up, and fake tanners, compared to $360 on their physical well-being.

Although a healthcare spokesperson told TheMoneyTimes.com, "So many of us are guilty of taking shortcuts to ensure we look good - often at the expense of our health" However, I believe the message behind these studies has much more to do with vanity and the fear of aging than a lack of concern over our health. Women purchase products such as anti-wrinkle cream, anti-cellulite lotions and cosmetics to look younger and feel more confident. And that's exactly the way these products are marketed. Advertisements crow that you can "Erase the years" and "Look ten years younger!" rather than point to the ways products prevent illness. The message is that we need these products to beautify ourselves, not to be healthier. For example, while Oil of Olay's Total Effects Daily Moisturizer contains an SPF 15 (presumably to prevent skin cancer) it is marketed on the Olay website that it "moisturizes to create visibly younger-looking skin and fight 7 signs of aging." Sure, the SPF is there to protect against sun damage...which is terrifying because it leads to "premature visible skin aging."

We live in an era in which there is a fascination with youth. Women around the world seem to worry about aging more than men do, according to the 2010 Bupa Health Pulse, a 12-country survey by the British health care company Bupa. Let's see . . . wrinkles. Saggy breasts. Gray hair. Permanent post-baby belly. Dry skin. Weight gain. Each change brought by time and gravity renders most women a bit more invisible in a culture that prizes youth. Enter the booms in plastic surgery, laser skin resurfacing, and "anti-aging" cosmetics.

And as women pass middle age, the pressure to look youthful doesn't end. Fear about appearance persists right into the 70s and 80s - when women add hearing aids, walkers, canes, and stooped posture to the dreaded "visible markers of being old," says geriatrician Laurie Jacobs, director of the Jack and Pearl Resnick Gerontology Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. "Women are always, unfortunately, more concerned about whether they appear old," she says. "Your sense of appearance is associated with your functional status."

So now I ask you: Do you buy more products with the purpose of maintaining health or are you more concerned with delaying the effects of aging? How do you feel about getting older? Have you begun worrying about the effects time will have on your appearance? What do you think of the studies which suggest that women are more focused on looks than on health?

In case you missed it:

• Enter my giveaway to win a $25 gift card from Marshalls/TJ Maxx!


• Like this post? PLEASE take a minute and vote for me in the CBS DFW Most Valuable Blogger Awards! I'm a finalist!

Celebrities: Just as screwed up about their bodies as we are.

 Years ago, I had a fairly sizable case of celebrity worship. Glossy tabloid magazines peppered my nightstand like salacious confetti, headlines screaming about alleged infidelity, gay rumors, secret plastic surgeries and marriage woes. I eagerly followed the progress of a certain actress' baby bump, analyzing whether her loose-fitting top was an attempt at food baby camouflage or existed to hide an actual baby. I pondered the possibility that my favorite celebrity chef might be (GASP) a cocaine addict. Was the z-list I'd had a crush on forever REALLY GAY? These things kept me awake at night.

I don't read those magazines anymore. I prefer to get my celebrity gossip the old-fashioned way...through 30-miunute snippets on Entertainment Tonight. The other evening I was lounging on my couch and caught coverage of an interview Jennifer Hudson did with Self Magazine, in which she mentioned that she’s prouder of her weight loss than her Oscar. She also stated, “I didn’t even know I was considered plus-sized until I came to Hollywood.”

Then I opened my Lucky Magazine, and was startled by the following quotes from cover girl Jessica Alba:

"I have a hard time with portion control, so I have 1,200 calorie meals delivered. But I also work out, so basically I'm starving. It sucks. I drink a lot of water. In the gym, I have like five things to distract me: TV, iPod, magazines. Working partners are good, too, so you can chat and not just drown in your own misery."

One of the best way to sell magazines and books is to mention weight loss. In fact, as of this post, five of the top ten New York Times non-fiction hardcover bestsellers address weight loss. And now research suggests that women might be more likely to believe the media over loved ones when assessing their own body image.

Researchers at Arizona State University studied 112 women ages 18-45, and linked 823 people in their families and social networks for follow-up interviews. They measured the degree to which the women felt stigmatized about their weight, and they asked the women “Do you think (so-and-so) thinks you should lose weight?” Members of the social network were asked if they thought the women should lose weight.

According to Psych Central, researchers expected to find ways that friends and family made women feel bad about their weight. Instead, they found friends and family were less likely to say that the woman needed to lose weight than the woman herself predicted. “We found that women generally missed the mark when estimating what their friends and family thought about their weight,” said Daniel J. Hruschka, co-author of the study. “Women were a bit more attuned to the views of close friends and family, but even then, they generally perceived the judgments of others inaccurately.”

But here's what jumped out at me: The women in the study felt stigmatized about their weight despite the fact that people in their lives thought they looked just fine. The researchers speculated that media messages about the body override the messages women get from friends and family.

Since the 1960s, eating disorder incidence rates have doubled (Eating Disorders Coalition, 2006). Interestingly, during the same period of time, mass media has increasingly portrayed progressively thinner representations of the female body. In a renowned study, Garner and colleagues reported that the body measurements and weights of Playboy centerfolds and Miss America Pageant contestants decreased dramatically between 1959 and 1978. More recently, Wiseman and colleagues (1992) observed that this trend continued through 1988. Television has also contributed to this obsession with thinness. A 2000 study found that thinner female characters in television situation comedies received more compliments from men than did heavier characters.

All of these finding tell me that we are increasingly disconnected with what our bodies actually look like. We have no idea of reality when it comes to our own body image. Vanity sizing has basically destroyed any standard of measurement in women's clothing. Actresses are getting thinner and thinner. Our brains become consumed with varieties of compare and contrast, pitting us against celebrities, TV and movie stars in a desperate quest for perfection. "Can I really lose seven pounds in seven days?" "Heidi Klum shaved off her baby weight in four months, so I should be able to do that too." "If Jessica Alba thinks she needs to lose weight, then I must look like a hippopotamus" (that one is from me.)

It's nearly impossible to turn our attention away from messages the media churns out. But it's even more heartbreaking when celebrities confess to being as miserable and skewed about their bodies and diets as we might be. The best we can do is understand that while we might admire acting ability or singing talent, coveting a celebrity's body might mean taking on their distorted body image as well.


In case you missed it:

• Enter my giveaway to win a $25 gift care from Marshalls/TJ Maxx!


• Like this post? PLEASE take a minute and vote for me in the CBS DFW Most Valuable Blogger Awards! I'm a finalist!
  

Pixel Perfection

I came across a cool concept in fashion illustration which I wanted to share with you. Imagine a deconstruction of high fashion, combined with the graphic quality of pixels and you’ll have these 8-bit images by Fashionary. Inspired by retro 8-bit graphics, a method of storing image information, they combined pixels with the Fashionary templates to create a strong graphic palette of current fashion silhouettes.

I love the Jil Sander print…which one is your favourite?

The prints are available for purchase, see site below.

from Fashionary via Trendland.

Hello Vogue ....

                                                                                                 ph. Daniela Pizzurro

                                                                                         vogue.it

In my previous post, i mention that i did some interesting things last Friday, and here is a sneak peek! Super sweet Italian photographer Daniela Pizzuro was in a short visit here ( in Belgrade) , and we made some photos! :) Today i received great news from her, that one photo is published in her portfolio on Vogue.it, so you can probably imagine how happy i am!?!! :) I will tell you the whole story soon as i get the rest of photos from that day, it will be really special post, probably with the most beautiful photos in my life, so stay tuned! ;)

U prethodnom postu sam vam pomenula, kako sam radila neke interesantne stvari prošlog petka, a sada imate priliku da vidite maleni deo! :) Divna italijanka Daniela Pizzuro , koja se bavi fotografijom bila je u kratkoj poseti našem gradu, gde je želela da napravi neke fotografije .... Danas sam dobila od nje odlične vesti, da je  fotografija, koja je nastala tog dana,  objavljenja u njenom portfoliu, ni manje ni više nego na Vogue.it stranici, pa možete pretpostaviti koliko sam se obradovala! :) Detaljnije o ovoj "saradnji" ću vam ispričati u jednom od narednih postova kada dobijem i ostale fotografije, za koje smatram da su verovatno i najlepše koje sam ikada imala, "mi piace"! Stay tuned ... ;)

Marshalls took me shopping and gave me a gift card for you!

Last Friday I was treated to a special tour and shopping spree courtesy of Marshalls and TJ Maxx. I've been a huge fan of both stores for years and love the fact that I can always find this season's fashions at 40-60% retail prices. Thanks to both stores, I managed to outfit myself throughout my lean college years while staying both stylish and current.

While being led around the store, I learned that both stores receive over 10,000 new items every week, which means you never know what will come in - paradise for a bargain hunter such as myself. TJ Maxx and Marshalls aren't discount stores, as most consumers mistakenly believe. They're off price retailers, and provide this season's brands and styles while catering to bargain hunters who love the thrill of finding designer brands at deeply discounted prices. I saw brands such as Paige, Seven For All Mankind, Frye, Stuart Weitzman, Jessica Simpson, Ralph Lauren, Cole Haan, Coach, Free People and Ella Moss, all at between 40-60% off. It was kind of like being in heaven. 

With merchandise varying between store to store - and region by region - buyers are able to handpick items for each location. With over 1600 stores nationwide they're also able to get the best deals from thousands of vendors in over 60 countries around the world. Buyers have the opportunity to purchase merchandise at the last minute of any given season, and they can buy either a large quantity or just a few pieces.

Marshall's is well-known for the huge shoe department. And for good reason.

One of fall 2011 hottest trends - the high heel loafer, at 50% off. This came home with me.

I loved these stacked platforms. So I bought the leopard ones. Animal print and fall just kind of go together, don't they?

When I shop in Marshalls and TJ Maxx, I typically head straight for the handbags.

Did you know that Cynthia Rowley produces a special collection just for Marshalls and TJ Maxx? Neither did I. This leather and leopard satchel is just gorgeous.

Oh, and this? A Rebecca Minkoff bag. I loved the rich jewel tone, whip stitching and chain strap. And the price - 50% off retail. Yup, this came home with me too.

Here are some tips if you're thinking about shopping at Marshalls and TJ Maxx:

• Look carefully at the "compare at" price on the tag: The tag will show you exactly how much money you're saving;


• Look for purple tags: These tags indicate a higher-end designer item. A TJ Maxx near me has a Runway Section, which offers Gucci, Prada, Missoni, J Brand, and Alice + Olivia, and these items are identified by a purple price tag.


• Get to know your store's layout: Everyone has a favorite section, whether it be bags, shoes, lingerie or jewelry. Knowing where to go can help you quickly locate that special thing you're looking for.


• Never, ever pass up a good bargain: Stores receive limited quantities of each item, so merchandise can sell out quickly. The perfect dress or handbag might not be there the next time you visit. 


• Not sure where to start? Try shopping the displays at the front of the store before easing into the racks. Merchandise in this section is organized by style and designer on four-sided clothing racks. This is a good place to star before digging deeper into the store to search for even more styles organized by size.

And now, a giveaway for you! Marshalls and TJ Maxx offered me a $25 gift card for one lucky winner! The card can be used at either store and is only good in the United States.

To enter, simply do the following:

• Follow me on Google Friend Connect.

For extra bonus entries: 

• Follow me on Twitter @dresscourage;


• Follow @TJMaxx and @Marshalls on Twitter;


• Tweet the following about this giveaway: I just entered to win @dresscourage gift card giveaway from TJ Maxx and Marshalls! http://tinyurl.com/3uuvmhu

A HUGE thank you to Marshalls and TJ Maxx for the shopping spree and store tour! 

Like this post? PLEASE take a minute and vote for me in the CBS DFW Most Valuable Blogger Awards! I'm a finalist!

Keeping Neutral

A few weeks ago I shared images of city skylines from around the world, beautifully captured by Alex Profit. Today I’d like to show a selection of decor shots by the same photographer. So different, but equally captivating and serene nonetheless. 

A woman's right to shoes

Yesterday afternoon, flush with excitement from a shopping trip, I called my husband into our bedroom. I had just returned with two new pairs of heels and was curious to hear what he thought. It's extremely out of character for me to get excited over shoes. I am not the type to get all swoony and lustful over a pair of pumps. I don't carefully store my shoes in special acrylic tissue-lined boxes. I don't have a religious moment while trying on a new pair. And I certainly am not ZOMG THIS SEASON'S MIU MIU PUMP IS OUT I MUST HAVE IT *GRABBY HANDS* SQUEE!!!

Frankly, sometimes I think there's something wrong with me. I think I must be the only female on the planet who does not lose it over a pair of shoes. Consider the following quote:

"There's one pair that I always like to wear. Sometimes when I'm alone in my hotel room, I look at them and I think how they are the only things in my life that know exactly what I've been through all day. I often feel like my shoes are the only part of me that know exactly what I'm doing because they're always with me." - Lady Gaga

A Daily Express study reported that the average woman will spend $25,000 on 469 pairs of shoes in her lifetime. So why are shoes such a "thing" with women, coveted by both Carrie Bradshaw more than any other accessory and frequenters of popular street style blog Jak & Jil? When it comes to status, shoes win approval in ways shirts cannot — the Daily Express study stated that four out of every 10 women judge other women based on their shoes. It Bags had only a moment, and it's not like there's a Tumblr devoted to pants. What makes shoes so special?

Science has explored why women love shoes as recklessly as they do, and they've discovered that the brain sends out a barrage of mood-booting hormones during a new purchase. "The neurotransmitter dopamine is released, providing a feel-good high, similar to taking a drug," says Martin Lindstrom, author of Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy. ""Shoppers rationalize shoes as a practical buy - something they can wear multiple times a week - so they hold on to that pleasurable feeling longer," says Lindstrom.

Furthermore, buying new footwear stimulates an area of the brain's prefrontal cortex termed the collecting spot. "Shoes are a collector's item, whether women realize they perceive them that way or not," says Suzanne Ferriss, PhD, editor of Footnotes: On Shoes. Consider how shoes are often stored prominently on shelves, or in custom-made acrylic boxes. "They're like sculptures," says Ferriss. Collecting shoes causes an adrenalin-like rush similar to that a baseball card collector feels when landing a new find.

Back in May, a British survey revealed that the average British woman owns 20 pairs of shoes, eleven of which she barely wears. The total value of the average lady's shoe closet? £720, or around $1,189. That means about $660 worth of shoes are sitting idle. The survey also noted that women buy an average of eight new pairs each year.

So. There are all these women buying shoes, talking about shoes, wearing (and not wearing) shoes, and budgeting for shoes. I get the feeling that, as a woman, I am supposed to like shoes too. Everywhere you look, women are waxing methodical about their shoes, glazed looks of transcendent bliss upon their faces. Female role models, whether they be singers, models, actresses or stylists, are constantly speaking of their love for heels. It was widely reported that Rachel Zoe and Victoria Beckam trolloped through their pregnancies in five inch stilletos. And it's hard to ignore the fact that a pair of pumps can transform an outfit and do pretty miraculous things for your shape. Much as bras and corsets are worn to encourage a womanly, hourglass shape, heels are worn to elongate the legs and raise the derriere. In a pair of heels, you stand taller. Your stomach is more tucked-in. And if you're petite, that extra four inch of heel is an enticing confidence booster.

So how did my husband react to my new heels? "Eh," he shrugged. "They're...okay." (Then again, this is a man whose sole emotional moment in the course of our 13 year marriage took place while watching The Rookie. A movie about baseball.) And I sort of agreed with him. I will never have a passionate love affair with shoes. It's just not me.

Tell me - what's your relationship with shoes? Do you get a rush from buying a new pair? Do you get excited over this season's must have heels? How many pair of shoes do you estimate you own? Which pair is your favorite? Or are you like me and just not a shoe person?

Like this post? PLEASE take a minute and vote for me in the CBS DFW Most Valuable Blogger Awards! I'm a finalist!

All of the lights ....

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                                                                                                sandals: aldo,
                                                                                                jeans: pull&bear,
                                                                                                blouse: non branded,
                                                                                                bag: aldo,
                                                                                                necklace: accessorize,
                                                                                                sunglasses: accessorize,
                                                                                                ph. Tosa

Hi guys,
how are you? How did you spent your weekend? Sun is shining, temperatures are still rising, ambrosia is in her full strength ( im allergic so you can imagine how im feeling) , but im still in a good mood! On last Friday, i did some interesting things in downtown, and can't wait to show you what is all about! On Saturday, i got from my mom this blouse and one oversized leopard shirt for being a good girl ... ;) Yesterday  i visited my grandparents and aunt, and after that my boyfriend and I went to have a drink by the river, where we took these beautiful photos right before the sunset. If you have chance, you should come and visit our charming city, you will enjoy for sure! Hope you will like photos, and background, i was really satisfied when i transferred photos on my laptop. Belgrade is beautiful! :)
Thank you for those lovely comments that you left in my previous post, im so glad that you find it very inspiring!  :*
p.s.  from today, you can follow my blog (on the right side) by email if you want, so every time when i post something new, you will be notified, and also, bellow every post, there will be a Facebook like button, so you can "like it" and share it!

Sunce, visoke temperature, ambrozija u punom jeku ( ja alergična) a dobro raspoloženje me još uvek drži ... ;) Prošlog petka sam u gradu radila neke interesante stvari koje jedva čekam da podelim sa vama ( nadam se uskoro, jer sam i sama nestrpljiva da vidim rezultate) ... Subota je bila rezervisana za šetnju sa mamom, gde sam kao dobra devojčica dobila na poklon ovu divnu bluzu ( koja se jako brzo gužva) i još jednu koju ćete videti u nekom od narednih  postova ... U nedelju sam posetila baku i deku, stigla čak i do druge bake , i taman se vratila da uhvatim zalazak sunca i pokažem  vam koliko je Beograd lep ... Kako je izgledao vaš vikend? :)
Moram da pohvalim i osobu iza fotoaparata, svaki put je sve bolji i bolji... ( izgleda da je i on pročitao poslednji post ;) ), i ujedno da vam se zahvalim za sve komentare koje ste ostavili u prethodna dva posta! U toku ove ili sledeće nedelje probaću da dodam još nešto novo,  pa ćemo zajedno odlučiti da li ćemo je uvrstiti kao redovnu rubriku ili ne .... :)
p.s. od danas možete pratiti blog i preko mejla ( sa desne strane "follow by email" ) ukoliko želite , tako ćete uvek biti obavešteni kada novi post bude objavljen, drugi dodatak je i Facebook "like button" ispod svakog teksta, gde možete direktno lajkovati i na taj način "share-ovati" :) , kao i "you might also like" dodatak koji vam nasumično nudi neke od starih postova da pogledate ....