FFF - Sample sale benefiting APEX (inner city youth) and Keeping Hope for Haiti Alive

Happy Friday dears!

This week is an NYC event in which everyone can participate! If you're not in NYC, shop to your heart's content at cutdrop.com.

The Lovely Dream Sequins is part of the committee that has organized a designer sale benefiting Apex - a NYC-based youth mentorship program (side note: my best friend met her husband when they both volunteered here!).  I'm thinking of this cute cashmere dress and at only $60!

In addition, let's all remember to keep Haiti in our hearts.


Liz's friend has these amazing t-shirts for $15 and 100% of proceeds benefits Haiti.

Tiffany and her brother Billy are also generously donating their time or services to get us to donate more to the Haiti relief efforts.  For a $20+ donation, she will give you a 8" x 10" print - something like this if you'd like.

For $100, talk to Tiffany and she could donate some photography services if you're in the Seattle area. More info here.

Have a lovely weekend!

My Wishpot Wedding/Fashion Guest post and Wedding blog funniness

I have a guest post on Wishpot's Wedding and Fashion Blogs today (so exciting, my first guest post!)
My post is about using your wedding registry to get cool things you want for the wedding itself - think makeup, birdcage veils, jewelry, ties, etc.!  This was especially relevant for us because we moved to another country and didn't want to bring too much stuff (even if we hadn't I have a TON of house stuff due to my obsession with Amazon's housewares department ). 

As I mentioned here, we really loved having a unique wedding registry that really reflected what was uniquely important to us - donations to the American Cancer Society, a man-purse for Mr. Gadget's Amazon Kindle DX, and luggage for our travels (and boy, are those babies getting mileage!)  So I'm a total advocate of a registry that allows you to select items (even from Etsy!!!) from across the web.

Also for my bride friends still wondering about whether to even have a registry, go for it, and make it fun!  We initially didn't want one either for the reasons mentioned above.  But if your friends and family are generously gifting you something, don't leave too much to their imagination - accept the fact that you will receive gifts and pick them out yourself.

I still use Wishpot to organize my online shopping lists because hey there's always something to shop for dream about and my Bookmarks menu is too full.

Bravo Bride also contacted me recently and said they listed me as one of their favorite wedding blogs.  Aww thanks!  Did they find the picture of me making a cross-eyed look at my husband during our wedding ceremony?  I am unfortunately not brave enough to post that right now.
But I will post an example of how silly faces between cousins never dies.

They seriously post some funny pictures and I love people that can laugh at themselves.

Ladies, this could be you - wedding gown + worm = awesome memories

CnC Living Travel Log: Food and fun at Taipei Shilin Night Market

Gotta love a place where you can find all kinds of food and random shoes late at night.

That place in Taipei is the Shilin Night Market in the Shilin district in Taipei - this is the largest and most famous night market in Taiwan.  This winding area in Taipei features a variety of food vendors with some small vendors selling everything from massage heat packs to hat situated on the side.
It's kinda interesting how they have food vendors in front of old temples.

In addition, you can find quite a few retailers open late (they open about 4 pm and close about midnight or 1 am) selling mostly outerwear or shoes.  Seriously there were a dizzying array of boots and pumps, many for about $30. 
Mr. Gadget also found some Lacoste shoes for about $60 (better priced than in the US or UK).

But really, we were there for the food.

The rough categories are

Then we have grilled goodies, including sausages

and corn (Taiwanese LOVE grilled corn)

...fried foods:
We started with some fried octopus (they had a variety of seasonings including a wasabi salt).  Yum!

Fried chicken breast (split breast so watch out for some bones at the bottom!) is famous here too.

...desserts/refreshments including a variety of jellies which at one stall were for some reason called frog eggs(is that supposed to be enticing?!)

These were the toppings (tapioca and aiyu jelly) for a fresh tory dessert.

  

and misc, including a variety of stone baked buns

and hot noodles (we only had medium hot - DELICIOUS but pretty darn spicy)

Definitely stop by and eat at the Shilin Night Market if you're in Taiwan!

Hello again NYC

I'll be back in my beloved home city on and off for a bit in the next few months.

Of course I can't wait to see friends and family.
Yay for mom's cooking!
Yay to seeing my bf while she's visiting from Cali!
Yay to seeing a very pregnant shoulda been my sista.

I'm also looking forward to...
...hopefully finding this top in my size at the LES or Greenpoint store

$211, but goes on sale and so worth it IMO

...eating my favorite pizza in the world at Pala (and I'm a NYC pizza snob) - zucca - prosciutto, smoked scamorza, pumpkin - it's BETTER than you can imagine

...hitting a good sample sale - suggestions?

...catching up on episodes of these shows

 

Any other suggestions on what to catch up on in NYC?

I'm also preparing for a move to Singapore.  Yes, jetting to SE Asia.  Tropical.  Clean.  Crazy that I'll be living there.  More on that soon I promise.

Glamorous and Beautiful Items and love

Aww, thanks again to some beautiful blog friends for the blog love.  Err and sorry for the late post (I guess you've already figured out procrastination is definitely one of my traits!)

The Perpetual Party Planner gifted me with the Glamourous Blog Award.

Dawn, the Alternative Wife, presented me with the Beautiful Blogger Award.

 

So a few random tidbits about myself:
1. I won the story telling contest for my school in 4th grade but lost the district competition because I didn't have enough eye contact.  Dang it.  Now I make sure to have lots of eye contact when I give presentations or talk to someone (though not in the staredown kinda way).
2. I have slept through a garbage truck accident (outside) and yet wake up when I hear my husband stir.  Odd.
3. I am perpetually tired.  Sigh if I could sleep an actual 8 hours peacefully...
4. I've only spent over $100 on shoes once (for my Coach Monet boots and I had credit to pay for them).  But I'm thinking of getting a pair of Loubotins though this year.  Am I just a sucker for the red heel?  Maybe.  Either way, I'm going to check them out when they're on sale.

Pretty but not $745 pretty here.

5. I love seafood but can't eat any more because I developed eczema a few years ago and seafood makes me super itchy now.  Of course I had oysters and yellowtail sushi yesterday.  Sigh I have no willpower sometimes.
6. I cook a lot more in London now and Thai food is a new favorite - curry, noodles - yum!
7. Markets are my favorite part of London.  I have a market report or two coming up.  The food, the jewelry vendors - it's all awesome.

And a few glamorous and beautiful things I'm thinking about...
Woven clutch with a Bottega Veneta feel.

From here, only $24.99

Colorful plates

$7.95 at Anthropologie

Fun necklaces

Only $7.80 at Forever 21- how do they do it?

Uber sexy European men...jk

Ahh Bruno, image from here

I think I'm supposed to pass this to a few people so I'd love to pass this to more glamorous gals (choice of whatever award):

Honey my Heart - as sweet as her name

Lindsey M Nelson, Couturier - ahh my future sewing friend when I actually learn how to sew

Kristin and Megan - Bon Bon Rose Girls - for fun and fashion

Midtown Girl - NYC love and hilarious stories

Cafe Fashionista - love her whimsical writing and great finds

Savvy Mode - a girl after my own heart, styling and saving!

Thirty Something Bride - one of my first blogger buddies, both sweet and sassy - she's awesom

FFF - Blogger giveaways, Damien Hirst Paintings in London (ending soon!) and

Happy Fun Free Friday lovelies!

We're soaking in the warmer temperatures here (and of course lots of jamon, mmm).  We will be heading back to our chillier temperatures in London, but we'll still have a good time of course (markets and oyster parties are in the works).

Everywhere
Fancy custom monogram stamps or starfish hair pins?  Yes, how fun!  Enter here sponsored by the Etsy Wedding team.

It's Hanako's blog birthday!  She has great fashion, recipes, a couple of cute pugs and is doing a giveaway of her favorite things to celebrate.  Sprinkles red velvet?  Oh yes!

London
Modern art fan?  Well it's worth checking out one of Britain's most well known modern artists as he tries to paint (he's more of a sculptor); Nothing Matters and No Love Lost are being shown through the 30th and 24th of this month.  It's free at both White Cube buildings and hey if you go to Mason's Yard you could always head to nearby Laduree at Burlington Arcade afterwards for macaroons.

 

NYC
Jazz fans, check out Hank Paper's Ascension: the Journey of John Coltrane.  This is a new exhibit at the Harlem School of the Arts.  I've always wanted to learn more about jazz and love photographs so this combination sounds awesome to me.

With that I leave you one of John Coltrane's classics, Moment's Notice.  Aahh a nice melody on a cold day.




Have a fab weekend!

DIY - Lucky envelopes for cookie favors (or whatever else you want to put in there!)

I'm enjoying a siesta in Madrid now and figured I should share some of my simple, styling DIY projects from a not really DIY kinda girl.  Don't worry Taiwan and Spain travel logs will be coming soon too!
I love seeing DIY projects, but not necessarily  doing them if that means I have to buy lots of random materials and tools (if you want me to invest in a rotary cutter, I really gotta use it!).  Basically, I'll only do it if it's really easy.  Yep, I am the lazy, every-woman Martha.

You may recall that I mentioned using these lovely but painstakingly tedious to assemble ivory boxes with scalloped edges as favor boxes for my NYC wedding (thanks dear brother for bringing them from Shanghai!).

We filled these with homemade pumpkin cookies and pyramid tea bags (recipe here).  We displayed this sign to note to our guests to open and consume the favors fairly quickly (my funny new aunt thought this was a signal to take 8 boxes so she could really throw down on some cookies).

I wanted to do something similar for our Taiwanese reception and I like sharing cookies.  Taiwanese people don't usually give weddings favors but they are familiar with giving and receiving lucky (red) envelopes.  I was inspired by some fun gold wrapping paper, which was still lucky and in our color scheme, and lack of suitable cardstock (oh I missed you Michael's).  My mom also suggested including pictures of us with a London or NYC background so we included 2" x 4" pictures of us with the Brooklyn Bridge reflected in the background.

Picture tip:
Kodak picture machines are great for reprinting pictures in a variety of sizes, especially smaller sizes.  Note some photo shops may not have the machines to print sizes other than passport size.

So here were my materials:

• wrapping paper (could also use cardstock but then would need a bone folder as well).
  
• sharp scissors (fabric scissors rock)
• cardboard (cardstock would be great)
• glue stick - a STRONG one
• pictures
  
• heart hole puncher

1. I designed a template in PowerPoint including at least 1" of give on each side (more if the contents are bulky).
2. I printed and glued the template to cardboard and cut the shape out.

3. I used this stencil to cut out the shape from the wrapping paper (note: you can cut multiple sheets but hold them tightly together or they will be misaligned)

4. I folded and glued the seams.

5. I glued the pictures to the front of the envelopes.
6. I punched the heart shape on the top of the envelopes.  I was going to use ribbon to tie the envelopes but couldn't find any.  I still liked the heart shape though!

There we go!

Definitely use strong glue because my poor aunt and brother had to reglue my pictures and seams because the cookies kept on popping out (also why you should incorporate a decent amount of give in the envelope template).  But DIY envelopes are good for a variety of flat objects you may want to include.

Madrid Bound

We're going to Madrid tomorrow.

Royal Palace picture source here, here I come.

Mr. Gadget bought tickets a few minutes ago.  It's so against my usual trip-planning prep to just take off, but it's kinda cool in a so-bad it's good kinda way (and obviously I'm voraciously reading the guidebook on the plane).

The beauty of us having free time right now is that we can enjoy our time.
The beauty of living in Europe is having access to low-cost airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet.
Very chic 'n cheap living.
So if you have some time with your loved one, go somewhere, explore, and of course have fun.

It'll be Mr. Gadget's first time and my first time in 15 years (oh the memories, I went to my first ever nightclub in Madrid - I thought I was the coolest. teenager. EVER.)  I don't know where those photos are, but they are undeniably awkward teen photos - braces, hot pink t-shirts - very 90s.

Picture from here

Any ideas for things to do?

I'm excited. 

Hola Madrid, quiero comer mucho jamon y tortilla espanola (Hello Madrid, I want to eat a lot of ham and potato omelet).  It's scary that we have to survive on my Spanish...

CnC Living Travel Log: Manila Styles, part 3 of 3 - food and a road trip to Baguio

Finally onto the food - one of my tops reasons for traveling.  Filipino cuisine is somewhat of a mixture between Chinese and Spanish foods so you can get a nice mix of tastes that incorporate everything from soy sauce to adobo (or actually vinegar).  There is also great seafood cooked in a variety of ways as well (grilled, marinated in vinegar, fried.).

Snacking is also popular, in fact so popular that Merienda, or a late afternoon snack, is an expected part of the day and a great time to meet up with friends or family.  So we had a lot of opportunities to eat our way through Manila. A. LOT.

Hmm, wonder where my holiday weight gain came from...

First up, my favorite snack - halo halo.  Shaved ice, jackfruit, cereal, random colored jelly, ice cream, sometimes flan or corn.  It's crazy, colorful deliciousness, especially at Iceberg restaurant.

Chicharron (fried pork rinds eaten by dipping in vinegar) is a popular snack. Tasty but I couldn't bring any back because we're trying to eat more healthily and fried pork fat doesn't rate too highly on the food pyramid.

I took a few pictures of some recommended restaurants:
O'sonho is a Portugese restaurant in the Eastwood Mall complex.  They had excellent food incorporating the peri peri pepper.  Million dollar peri peri chicken dreams for under $5 (or whatever other food "dreams" they served). 

At TriNoma, we had some fantastic dessert at Five Cows.  They have savory snacks and lots of dessert options that combined pastries with ice cream like our apple crumble for less than $3.  Yum!

I would also recommend "Little Tokyo".  It was a hidden treasure near Green Belt mall.  It is an open area of a mix of Japanese restaurants that allow you to seamlessly order sushi from 1 restaurant and wagyu beef from another.  It was pricier at $20-$30 but authentic and delicious.

We also went on a road trip to Baguio which is a historic city North of Manila.  It is known for its mild climate and is the "Summer capital of the Philippines"

There were lovely mountain views and the corresponding cool weather (ahh so necessary after experiencing the 80+ degree weather in Manila). 

  

It is a long drive up the mountain but vendors sell grilled coconut wrapped in banana leaves on the roads.  Mmmm, eating a few of these was definitely a good way to pass the time.

 

It's a lovely city.  There are however touches of commercialism though that contrast with the serene mountains. E.g. the country's most famous fried chicken chain, Jollibee, proudly displays its sign as you wind your way up the mountains. 

But of course there was also the familiar nods to religion.  The simple and beautiful Pink Sister Convent is also nearby and the country's current president is said to visit when she is in the area (the presidential summer mansion is there and they were holding a cabinet meeting when we visited!)

After a few days in Baguio, we were back to Manila.  I loved going up North and experiencing the weather and sites from a different region.  The Philippines has such diversity and I hope to see more of it next time.

Until then, I'll have to plug in my USB tranquility fountain, relax, and dream of my next vacation.

CnCLiving Travel Log :Manila Styles, part 2 of 3 - Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories

Welcome to another edition of Manila mall reports and a peek into Manila style.

I tried to capture some styles that were particularly Filipino - tropical and laid-back with that particular Pinoy flair.  Of course there were quite a few warm weather options in terms of clothing and shoes.  They had some interesting options.  Definitely fun though perhaps not for everyone.

 

Then there are brands that offer clothing with a very patriotic flair.

This one was interesting because it combined the national pride with a nod to their devout ways as well.

 There are also several  brands that have use the Filipino map as a logo.

Then there are nods to some familiar American and European brands.

The Filipino version of Celine has handbags as well but is not the same as the French design house (font is not that far off though so it can be confusing); this Celine is more of a mid-range brand.

Then did you know that Monique Lhuillier's family is well-established in Cebu and known for their businesses? This is one of them - a pawnshop chain.

Green Belt mall also has a floor dedicated to high-end Filipino designers.

 

Finally, if you're in the Philippines and looking for pearls (my blogger buddy Thirty-Something Bride got her pearl necklace and bracelet for her wedding here), go to Green Hills Mall.  The first level has a section of dozens of vendors devoted to sea pearls.  The larger, rounder, more lustrous pearls can set you back $30-$40 for a necklace.  But you can also get a great necklace with smaller pearls for the price Louise paid - closer to $20.

 

Finally a beauty tip:

If you have a local friend who can speak tagalog, I'd recommend calling up an at-home manicurist.  My new aunt called one for us and it was awesome - $5 for a manicure and pedicure and $5 for a foot scrub and she comes to you!  She had a range of so-so brands from cheap drugstore brands to OPI so you might want your own color.  But the scrub was awesome (I'll pass her phone number to you if you need it).

Unfortunately I didn't really get to take pictures Sartorialist style (someday with an SLR camera!)  But it would have been awesome to catch someone like this in Manila - rocking a pareo with a Hermes bag.  Some day that will be me!