Make Me Beautiful

It’s the first day of Spring!!! Hooray!!! The end of dreary winter is within sight! And what means spring? Flowers! Blooms, blossoms, buds! They’re Mother Nature’s sex organs, issuing a showy, smelly come-hither to the birds and the bees; signifiers of all that is fecund and fertile from time immemorial.

Also, they’re pretty.

Here’s some stuff I found with flowers to celebrate the ol’ vernal equinox. I know a lot of you out there are still trapped in winter misery, shoveling snow and swaddled head-to-toe in fleece and long johns, but worry not — the end is near. Just focus on the pretty and dream of spring.

D&G Dolce & Gabbana Red Flower Print Dress

Oh, I love this. It’s bright, it’s graphic, it’s swingy and a little vintage — that’s a dress I want to wear

Giuseppe Zanotti Metallic Thong Sandal with Rose

And how adorable are these? So simple and sweet. They would be very wonderful with the dress above them.

If you’re not up for a floral print, how about a floral texture?

This comes in a mink-y brown color, too, if the red is too much for you.

How fun. Very abstract little leather flower-ish thing. Also in black, for a slightly more goth feel.

From the woman who has mastered the abstract floral print (not to mention the dress), Diane von Furstenberg:

It’s spring. It’s time to treat yourself to a classic DVF wrap dress. You will wear it for many springs to come, I promise.

Marc Jacobs Collection Poppy Print Blouse

Love these beautiful saturated colors.

A couple of gorgeous floral scarves. Tie your flowers around your neck, your shoulders, your head, your handbag. Scarves are always a good investment.

This is lovely, and very on sale.

I would call this color peony pink. Beautiful.

Really love this ring. That is right up my alley.

A floral scarf that made me gasp, it’s so beautiful. I’m besotted with this thing.

From Valentino, always home to the loveliest floral prints. I’m going to have dreams about this scarf.

More abstract floral yumminess from Rebecca Taylor:

Isn’t that nice? I often find her clothes a bit twee and cutesy, but this collection seems to really be working for me.

I’m fascinated by these shoes.

On one hand, the mary jane flat thing usually strikes me as far too childish. On the other, that black & white pattern is utterly wonderful. These may be just weird enough to be perfect.

These are just instant happiness:

I’ve never been able to abide thongs just because I hate the way they feel between my toes, but these are wonderful enough that I might try to get over that.

Great little flat in a bright, abstract floral.

I’m head over heels for this dress:

Whatever Rebecca Taylor was smoking/drinking/taking while she designed this collection, she needs to keep it up. This is just stunning. I love the color combination and the just-enough fuchsia sequins at the top. I would not, however, wear silver shoes with it. I think that brown color needs a gold shoe.

I hope your first day of spring is sunny and happy, everyone!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Dieticians from the American University of Colorado offered to all those who wish to get rid of the extra weight, a new, very effective and not particularly difficult way to implement your dream. It does not require either starving or exhausting long-time exercises. Forget about the extra kilos with the help of milk, dairy products and daily walking.

The American dieticians made an experiment, which involved 199 volunteer people from both sexes and various ages. All of these people had pretty much extra weight. Dieticians offered them the following programme: each day during the four months the volunteers were devoting at least one hour of walking, counting at the same time ten thousand or more steps.

The temperature and duration of walks they chose by themselves, the most important for researchers was precisely the number of steps. In addition, some volunteers were required to change their diet, adding the skimmed milk and dairy products like yogurt, cheese, etc. Thus, the body of volunteers received more than the usual amount of calcium.

Combined with a regular walking, such a quantity of calcium consumption had a very pleasant effect for volunteers - in four months they got rid of a part of the excess weight: an average of six unnecessary kilos disappeared. Dieticians said that the thing is in the rapid combustion of fats, which occur in the body because it is a regular walking and consumption of milk and dairy products.

The milk, beside calcium, also contains a lot of other useful substances, without which is impossible the normal development of the organism, moreover - their combination in milk is optimal. Dieticians recommend to drink daily two to three cups of skim milk or a cup of usual milk to keep the organism in shape.

Popularity: 2% [?]

* black dress, Mango
* patent red shoes, Miu Miu
* coat Le Trou d’Aiguille
* red fingerless gloves, Meli Melo
* scarf, Steilmann

Popularity: 1% [?]

Photo Credit: nguyendm on flickr.com

A good clearout can do wonders for your mood, not to mention your home. I try and set aside time every 4-8 weeks to have a clear out. It enables you to get rid of the clutter you don’t need, and can also help to remind you of those things you are already meant to have done…like paying that credit card bill!

Clothes and clutter…

1 - Sell
Try websites like ebay , bigwardrobe and playtrade .

2 - Donate
If it isn’t worth much, donate to your preferred charity, they will be more than happy to take it.

3 - Recycle
If it is broken or full of holes then throw it out, or if you can then recycle it. Try your local freecycle network to find a good home for your unwanted goods.

Paperwork…

1 - Save
Get important documents in order with some sort of filing cabinet, or expanding file.

2 - Shred
Make sure to destroy anything of a sensitive nature, no one wants their identity stolen.

3 - Recycle
Give magazines to friends or waiting rooms at dentists and doctors. Otherwise get the local recycling team to pick it up with your collection.

If there are things you don’t like to throw away because they hold memories, then how about making a scrapbook. It will be fascinating for those who stumble across it in years to come. It is fine to hold on to things, but do it for the right reasons and keep things you don’t need to hand out of sight.

Remember

If it’s broken, you probably will never fix it. Throw it away, or give it to someone who will fix it.

If it is the wrong size, chances are it always will be. Sell it and buy something else that fits.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Usually on a holiday, one of the main attractions for me is the shopping. Even if it is the usual department store stuff I can get back home, I still do it. When it comes to the actual tourist attractions, likes views and such, I am the type to just take a picture with/of it and be on my way. But lately, I’ve been feeling a need for change of scenery, probably because I’ve been living in the concrete jungle,where whenever I step foot out the door there is shopping- and they’re not even on sale yet!- for too long.

My trip to Auckland, New Zealand was just the retreat I needed! It was all so incredibly peaceful and tranquil being there. So refreshing to not be accosted by shop after shop of merchandise tempting me. In fact, the experience was completely different from my usual vacations. Instead of finding the prospect of being outdoors very scary and frankly rather boring, for once I actually stopped and appreciated it all- and it was nice.
Our first stop on my arrival was a drive up Mount Eden, which is an inactive volcano in the middle of Auckland. Now you can only see the the crater of it covered in grass, with cows grazing in the center of it (left). Tourists are not allowed down into the area, because it is really quite steep (not to mention tourists would errode the grass). Mount Eden also happens to be the highest point in Auckland, and as you can see (right), affords us a very nice 360 view of the city.
The next morning, we went for the America’s Cup Yacht Sailing experience as part time members of the crew, helping roll the sails up/down and taking a turn at the wheel- its hard work! And even though the weather had been summer-like all week, out on sea, it was surprisingly cold. Not at all what I’d imagined sailing weather to be- good thing I brought a sweater!
Despite the unexpected weather, it was a wonderful 2 hours. The weather was perfect and the view was absolutely breathtaking. Shown here is the view of Auckland downtown and the view of the Rangitoto Island- which my friend tells me looks like this from all around. How cool! I especially love how the white clouds/ blue sky compliments the scenery (I have a thing for blue skies and white clouds).
Seeing as how I was in the land of the sheep, I thought it was only appropriate that I went to see a proper sheep show (even though one can see sheep/cows practically anywhere over there). It was surprisingly interesting. Basically they put on a show very much like the one in Babe (the movie), except using dogs instead of pigs of course (left). It was impressive how well the dog is trained, it was like a robot! Then we were shown how a sheep is sheared (right). It was really quite cool! And afterwards we even got to feed the lambs and they were just darling!
That night, we then went to Parnell for dinner. Its an adorable old quaint street full of cafes etc. Unfortunately by the time we finished dinner, it was already pass 10pm and the Chocolate Boutique Cafe was closed. It is the most darling-est place ever, luckily I got to go back later for a cup of hot cocoa, which was divine.

Then we headed to our next stop (yes it was a LOONG day)- the Minus 5 Bar. Basically it was a small room made of ice, decorated with ice sculptures that is very very cold. Even the cups they served drinks in were made of ice! It was VERY cool. I absolutely loved it. Way better than the little “ice room” we have here at Balalaika in HK. Unfortunately even with borrowed uggs (they have hygiene socks- thank god!), gloves and coat, it was still very cold, so we didn’t stay for too long. Kind of reminded me of my days waiting for the bus to come during the Chicago winters. Haha.
The next morning (Sunday), we woke up at 7.30am and participated in the Round the Bays charity walk/run! This is definitely not something I’d usually do in my home town. Definitely unique. I heard that so many people on the streets at once is not a common Kiwi sight. Luckily the weather was really good, cool and cloudy- perfect for a walk. We completed the 8.4km walk in 1 hour and 33 minutes!
After THAT we recovered with a 3 hour nap and a few further hours of laziness at the Piha beach, munching on pizza, reading and waiting for/watching the sunset. Its a truly beautiful beach a hour away from the city. The sand is supposedly volcanic dust or something, so its darker than usual. Not a swimming beach though, cause the waves are too strong. But its fun to walk along the shores. It was soo nice, I actually wanted to stay there forever- and I’m not even a beach person! I do believe I am now a newly converted beach at sunset/out of direct sunlight person!
And on my last day in Auckland, I jumped out of a plane. It seemed the thing to do in Kiwi land. Once I got there of course I started freaking out. The idea of defying years of well trained instincts and jumping out of a plane seemed like an insane idea. What if the parachute doesn’t open? What if I die? But then I figured that I’ve come half way across the world for this and its now or never. If I do it when I get older, I have a higher chance of dying from a heart attack! So I paid and before I knew it, I was strapped and was on an one-way plane that will take me up to the height of 12,000 km. One way because it wasn’t designed for landing with passengers (no seatbelts!). 20 minutes later I was up there. And then, before I knew it, the door was opened and I was pushed out into the sky. After the initial shock/scare though, I realized that I was falling down in the sky and the feeling was INCREDIBLE. I’d imagined it to be like one of those things in the theme park where they drop you down from a height x 100, but no, this was nothing like that. Your heart stays inside your body and there’s just this RUSH coursing through you as you fall. And too soon, the parachute was opened and I was floating comfortably down to land. It was AWESOME. I am so glad I did it. The experience was totally worth all the nerves and scare going up!

Sigh I wish I was back there! Now I think I know what “retreat” means and why people want to go to the middle of nowhere and just relax and enjoy the scenery and be away from the hustle bustle and the claustrophobic atmosphere of the city from time to time.

Ps. Click on the images for a better look!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Waiting for Keira and James can be exhausting

Atonement is suffering from a severe case of what I call film fatigue. Actually, it is the public, not the film, that came down with the disease.

Symptoms include cynicism, ennui and a diminished willingness to appreciate Joe Wright’s epic for the finely crafted masterwork that it is.

Conditions which brought it on include the subject matter — Atonement is, admittedly, an epic romantic tragedy.

Plus the grind of the awards season — Atonement launched in North America at the Toronto filmfest, was prominent in a variety of contests and powered its way to seven Oscar nominations, including best picture. Even at this point, however, the fatigue factor might have sabotaged Oscar nomination campaigns for co-stars James McAvoy and Keira Knightley, despite stellar work as star-crossed lovers.

Plus there was the film’s company in the best picture category — four of the five, including Oscar winner No Country for Old Men, were rife with brutal violence and/or melancholy and tragedy.

By Oscar night, fatigue had taken over. Atonement won just a single Academy Award — to Dario Marianelli for his superb score. His uncanny use of a syncopated typewriter tap with piano and strings created a unique blend of ambient sound and musical instruments.

Part of the blame, perhaps, is with the media for channelling its chatter and creating trumped-up expectations. More blame rests in the over-marketing of films as they move from festivals to theatres to awards events and on to DVD.

Even great artistic accomplishments — Atonement has never changed from day one — seem to transform into products for sale, souring the experience. We grow weary of the hype. It is film fatigue.

Popularity: 2% [?]