April Love 2013

One early morning, I spotted these oat cookies with honey nut and bought them to add to my snack drawer at work, along with my other Fauchon goodies and a sakura green tea sachet from Japan. Received a beautiful Tiffany & Co. jewelry bowl from a dear old friend, who i’ve not seen for over a year. She missed out on my 30th last year due to her hectic family business, and i was beyond touched when i found out she had this gift for me all this time. My Tiffany necklace and bracelet are already nicely placed in the bowl, just where they belong. Beauty products on my work desk for those emergency dates/night outs where in need to freshen up instantly, such as spraying on Jo Malone’s Nectarine Blossom & Honey cologne.  And hand cream and anti-bacterial hand gel are always a must for hygiene purposes.

Savoring my strawberry/blueberry yogurt dessert from Simply Life whilst catching up with a friend and reminiscing our fun times as flat mates back in London during our uni days. Upon leaving a shopping mall at 11pm, I couldn’t help but snap a pic of these beautiful flowers on display at the Agnès b. Fleuriste shop. Discovering art out of nowhere such as this heart made out of paper by Yulia Brodskaya, are one of those things that make life that much more interesting and beautiful.

Adding some lovely smelling “Bath & Body Works” shower gel to my bathroom, that another BFF from New York got me. Excited to try the sun-ripened raspberry scent already. Audrey Hepburn fever in full swing after watching her movie, Sabrina, and spontaneously decided to hunt down books about her. “How to be lovely” is an easy read and great way to look into the life of Audrey Hepburn, highly recommended for those that are fond of her. Enjoyed a Friday night in, skimming through the Cosmopolitan May issue while indulging over Bailey’s truffle chocolate bar, and watching Gossip Girl for the very first time. Yes, i’m a bit late on this American series but as the saying goes, always better later than never, right?

I am blessed for each and every day that was filled with love, fun, laughters, and sharing special moments with people I love and care for. You are my April Love 2013.

Little treasures from New York…

For those that know me well, will be very familiar  with how i get excited when i get surprises when least expected, and that is what just happened before i got off work last week. My BFF in New York was a real sweet heart and had gotten me some lovely goodies for my belated 30th birthday and Christmas gift. Her mom had recently gone to New York to visit her and her recent born grandson, Jonathan, who is my ever as cute godson, and had been requested by my BFF to deliver the goods to me in person. That’s when i got a call and auntie was at the door of my office with the bag of goodies. If you are reading this, my BFF, i love you girl!!!

I remember my very first trip to the states in New York back in 2008, where i fell in love with Bath & Body Works, an American skin care brand. Fast forward 5 years later, BFF is ever as sweet and remembers my love for this brand. Although my love for Bath & Body Works isn’t as crazy as before, surely one should not decline gorgeous looking beauty products, right? There were 2 shower gels that came in the flavors of sun ripened raspberry and cucmber melon, which reminds me of the summer times. I absolutely adore the cute mini anti-bacterial hand gels, and they are the perfect size to put into my bag. Japanese Cherry Blossom is my favorite.

On my lazy days, when i don’t have time or patience to glam up, i always find spraying on a fave perfume or applying a tint of lip gloss is all it takes to feel dolled up without much effort. This is when less is more fits my agenda, where i go for the casual look. So i was very much amused when i found out that BFF had gotten me a multi functional cosmetic piece to add to my collection.  This special make up kit is a wand that has a pink lip gloss on one end and a lovely summery roll on perfume on the other end. Two things in one, it’s the perfect gift for a busy lady like me that always rushes to work every morning. The AVOCA soap bar is an additional piece i added because i felt that it completed the entire look with the whole pink color scheme going on in the photo. I actually bought this soap during my trip to Wicklow in Ireland three years ago. I still haven’t had the heart to use this soap because it just looks too pretty and still smells ever as lovely as the day i bought it. 

One of my fave gifts to receive are jewelries as it can hold sentimental values, where memories are embedded of that certain moment or special person, and a valuable to be kept forever. You can say i’m more of the sappy type, if you like. For my belated birthday gift, BFF got me this gorgeous Swarovski crystal necklace. The simple and elegant design of this gem is very close to my usual style in jewelry, and the size is perfect for me.

What are some of your most memorable birthday gifts received in the past?

March Love 2013

Attending my fave J-pop, Namie Amuro’s 20th Anniversary Asia Tour, her first concert ever in Hong Kong. The night was filled with dancing, jumping, along with singing and screaming to her old 90′s classic songs such as “Can you celebrate?”, “Respect the power of love”, “Say the word”, and many more. Celebrating a dear friend’s birthday on a relaxing weekend over Italian food, and surprised her with a birthday dessert platter. Friday night drinks with friends in town from Canada, accidentally discovered this stylish and chic bar, Lily & Bloom, that serves exotic and extraordinary cocktails!

Getting my hearty and healthy breakie back on track at work, with raspberry yogurt mixed with blueberries, strawberries, and pumpkin flax granola. Trying out my new cosmetics, the Jill Stuart custard lip pot (#C4, chocolat custard) to welcome spring time! Gently I blend this in with a clear gloss to give that extra shine. Doing a bit of good deed and contributed to World Vision for charity.

Spotted this cute floral summer dress and knitted cardigan, and got it in a heart beat for my friend’s recent new born baby girl. Started picking up on reading again. My current read is “the kite runner” and the occasional “fifty shades of grey” for my lazy read days. Spring shopping in H&M and got myself this sleeveless burgundy top with gorgeous lace detailing on it.

I am blessed for each and every day that was filled with love, fun, laughters, and sharing special moments with people I love and care for. You are my March Love 2013.

Christmas and road trip in Vancouver

While i know we are fast approaching the end of March and spring is just around the corner, i suddenly remembered that i haven’t finished uploading the photos of my Christmas in Vancouver. So why this post is terribly delayed, i thought it would be nice to show you all how my first every Christmas in Vancouver went.

Christmas 2012 in Vancouver was filled with house parties with friends and families, where eating and drinking was non stop. While this is not as common in Hong Kong, due to the limited living space in most households, I was beyond thrilled to enjoy such a joyous holiday with so much love, joy, and laughter. The greatest thing was also getting to meet a lot of new people via BFF’s friends and families.

We went to BFF’s brother’s new flat for an early Christmas dinner and a giant Christmas tree covered in all silver decor was standing beautifully in the living room, and i could not take my eyes off it. Another detailing i really liked was this giant mirror with this white frame that was laying against the wall next to the Christmas tree. I’ve always dreamed of having a mirror like this in my future home.

Over the weekend before Christmas, we decided to go on a road trip to the states for some shopping at the premium outlet.  BFF’s parents came along where her dad volunteered to drive us there. He warned us that it was a grueling 3 hours drive in the snowy weather, and with BFF’s rusty driving skills due to not driving for almost 4 years in Canada, we accepted his kind offer.

As we drove on the high way, i noticed the spectacular view of these mountains that were covered in snow and an endless row of trees that stacked beautifully together. It was an absolutely breath taking view.

I have heard about Tim Horton’s cafe for the longest time and i have been meaning to try their coffee and pastries on this trip of mine. So when we dropped by a Tim Horton’s cafe for breakfast prior to our road trip, i quickly decided to get a hot latte and my fave cinnamon bun, which I must say, was a good kick start for the day.

Upon arriving to the premium outlet, my eyes could not stop looking from left to right and back to forth. All the well known designer brands such as Coach, Michael Kors, Burberry, Ralph Laure, Juicy Couture, Kate Spade, and etc were confined together within the premium outlet, where they were stacked to each other from shop to shop. It was quite overwhelming as we only had around 3 hours to shop but we managed to stick to our schedule, and drove into the night as we headed back to Vancouver. One of my favorite purchase was my Kate spade iphone case and Michael Kors rose gold watch.

After spending so much time with friends and families, my 2 BFFs and i decided we needed a girls night out with nobody but us three only.  We went to the Cactus Club cafe, which is situated in the English Bay. It has a nice wooden design both from the outside and the inside. I really like the earthy tones and contemporary style of the interior decor along with the dim lights. It’s a great place to chill with friends or with your other half.

Now don’t even get me started on the cocktails.  Their cocktails tasted really fresh and BFF explained that it’s due to more access to fresh resources in Canada. Whereas in Hong Kong, i noticed that most of the cocktails  i tried are normally sweet. I started with a Flirtini, where it’s name was derived from the American series, Sex and the City. My second cocktail was the Cohiba, which was just as nice, and it had a really nice flavor of mixed berries to it, very refreshing. For main course, i ordered their creole steak and prawn in cajun spices, which was served with mashed potato and veggies. I wasn’t too impressed with the steak as it was more on the dry side.   

Ms. C and I were also introduced to try Japa Dog, which is a Japanese style hot dog. I though that this was a pretty interesting concept and so we off we went to to find our Japa dogs. We ordered two flavors to share, the Kurobuta Terimayo and Oroshi. I absolutely loved the Kurobuta Terimayo with the teritaki sauce, it was delish! The Japanese staffs were also super friendly and helped us to take a photo with their Japa dog food stand.

We also managed go out on Christmas Eve for some lovely Japanese dinner, where we took it nice and easy. The sashimi served was really fresh and the sake was totally divine!

Towards the end of trip, we did some of the things that we hadn’t managed to do, such as exploring around BFF’s neighborhood in Coquitlam, as we seemed to never wake up in time during day time to see the area, thanks to the late chit chats til 5am! There was one night where a friend drove us around Coquitlam to track down Christmas lights and decorations on people’s houses because i’ve never seen this in my entire life, apart from the time when i saw it from the movie “Home Alone”. We did our last minute shopping in Robson Street and wandered around down town like a proper tourist, and kept looking at street names and maps for directions.

As i had to catch an 11:30am flight to fly back to Hong Kong, my last day in Vancouver was not for long. BFF and Ms. C had already taken off to Toronto the day before to spend New Years Eve there, and so BFF’s dad had offered to give me a lift to the airport. It was a bittersweet good bye as i was not ready to leave Vancouver just yet. But i know that i will be back some day, hopefully in the  summer time.

Have you ever spent Christmas in another country and what were your most memorable moments there?

20th Anniversary Namie Amuro Asia Tour 2013

Namie Amuro has always been one of my favorite Japanese pop singers, where i started following her music way back in 1996. She is finally holding her very first concert in Hong Kong for her 2013 Asia tour, and tonight is the night!!! I absolutely love her, not to mention her pretty face and great sense of style!!!

I’m on the bus going to Asia World Expo where the concert will be held at so I’m super excited as I write this post now!!!! I gotta admit, waiting around 17 years to finally see her sing live is such a thrill, just all that anticipation and knowing I’ll hear her sing in less than 8 hours is so surreal!!!

I just wanted to pop in and share this great news of mine and i hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!! I know my weekend will be fabulous with Namie in my agenda!!! Here are some gorgeous photos of Namie Amuro so please enjoy.

Happy 4 years anniversary!!!!

 

Exactly 4 years and 4 days ago, i started this little blog of mine, which was a place for me to let my creative outlet come out. Gradually throughout the years with much determination and inspiration from other bloggers, my blog  has now blossomed into a place that i enjoy coming back to again and again and again,  to share my thoughts, travel experiences, delicious eateries, fashion trends, and great treasury finds with you all.

It has been quite a journey and i have to admit, a lot of time, patience, dedication, and love is required in order to maintain a blog. There were days where i was absent from blogging for days, weeks, or even a month or so but that did not stop me. My urge to share my life experiences and thoughts are never ending and i am so grateful for those that come back and read my blog, and to even take the time out of your busy life to leave me a comment. I want to say a big thank you to all you bloggers that have left me comments, liked my posts, and followed me via wordpress, bloglovin, and instagram.  I have met a lot of lovely people throughout the years of blogging and i am sure this year will be no exception!

I feel truly blessed for reaching my 4th year in blogging and i look forward to sharing more with you all in the future.

Cinz

XXX

February Love 2013

Chinese New Year celebration was in full swing with colorful flowers and kum quat trees being decorated around the house. Lovely afternoon chill time with friends over cake and tea at the cosy “Zelo” located in Pacific Place Shopping mall, which has a really modern and stylish design to its interior.  Painted my nails in green with some glitter to add some fun as we entered the year of the snake!

Ms. C was in town visiting and had arranged a lovely evening for Ms. S’s birthday and also for my belated 30th, at the Domani Ristorante. She had some contacts and managed to get us a lovely table with the view of Hong Kong island, where drinks were prepared in advance. Drinking the night away with champagne, red wine, and dessert wine, while catching up like old times, was definitely a  great way to spend a joint birthday together. Valentines Day came before i knew it, and being still single, i was really touched when i went to Pret A Manger for my morning coffee and salmon/cucumber bun, and  found a small heart shaped short bread placed inside the paper bag along with my breakie. It is these small gestures that really gets to my heart at times.  Quiet stroll along the Victoria Harbour after a filling meal to burn off some excess calories, whilst taking in the beautiful night view of Hong Kong, never fails to impress me.

Spent a relaxing Sunday evening over a friend’s house party where the fabulous host had prepared delicious food and desserts. A pot of hot lychee and rose tea was served into these lovely looking Wedgwood tea cups, which complemented well with the home made chocolate cake, to neutralize the overall sweetness. Regular visits to the Vibe bar at the Mira hotel as of lately, has proved to be an enjoyable experience where my friends and I sit and talk for hours over wine and cocktails. The circular chandelier at its lobby entrance manages to fascinate me every time i go there and i think i’ve fallen in love with it. Lovely daffodils were welcomed into the house to welcome the Chinese new year and to hope for a fresh and better start.

I am blessed for each and every day that was filled with love, fun, laughters, and sharing special moments with people i love and care for. You are my February Love 2013.

“Happy Chinese New Year”

It was Chinese New Year last week and like every year, my parents and i went back to Shenzhen, China, to spend some quality time with our families. I always love the time spent with families over delicious and traditional Chinese food, and catching up with loved ones. This a very festive time of the year in Shenzhen where the city is bombarded with lovely flowers and Chinese fireworks being set off from a distant.

One of the things i like most about Chinese New Year are the beautiful flowers that my mom and dad hand picks from the flower market. The flower market is always busy during this time of the year, both during day time and night time. It was my third time going to the Shenzhen flower market with my parents, and i was basically squashed like a pancake. We managed to buy a pot of beautiful Daffodils and left the place within 20 minutes.  My mom also loves buying lilies, orchids, and other flowers, and decorates them around the house, as a way to welcome the new year.

My parents had some super cute red pockets (lai see) this year, where there are two designs, a cute Chinese boy and Chinese girl dressed in traditional Chinese clothes. It’s a tradition for married couples to put money into these red pockets and give them out to kids and families, or friends, that are not married, as a blessing to them.

Another thing that i enjoy very much about the Chinese New Year is helping my mom to fill up the candy box. It’s a tradition to have a traditional Chinese style box that is filled with yummy candies, different kinds of nuts, and all sorts of goodies, that are passed out to families or friends when they come over to visit. My mom always gets the most delicious goodies s or anything that is new or looks interesting. This year we also included the Cranberry flavored nougats that i got on my trip to Vancouver and people loved it! My other favorites were the Macadamia filled crunchy nut bar and the Lindt Landor milk chocolate truffle.

We finished off our Chinese New Year in Shenzhen with a trip down to Dongmen, which is an shopping area, where you can find cheap goods, such as gadgets, clothes, fake designer bags and shoes, kitchenware, local food stands, and the list goes on. We had dim sum for lunch in the area and then took a walk before we called it a day.

May everyday be Valentines…

I know this post is late by a day but as i always say, better later than never right?  So i just wanted to say a happy belated valentines day to all of you out there, whether you’re a singleton or with your beloved other half, I hope your Valentines day was filled with love, joy, kisses, and lots of happiness!!!

 To add a bit more of fun into valentines day or any other day if you like, here are some sweet little things that you can do with your other half. Hoepfully this goes to show that sometimes you don’t need to do anything fancy or big to feel the love, as long as you got each other. And the best part is that you can do all of the following things below, whether you’re in a relationship or is as single as can be. Happy Valentines day everyone!!!

Perfume

Wear your favorite perfume and let the scent do it’s magic. I always believe a scent says a lot about a person and its has this power to bring out the confident, feminine, and sexual side of you. Just a quick breeze of a familiar perfume scene is enough to ignite certain memories from the past. It could be that first Chloe perfume that i got gifted a few years back for my birthday, and it’s been my fave ever since.

Macarons

I don’t know about you but i’m sure all the macaron fans out there will agree with me. There’s nothing where a box of lovely and colorful Laduree macarons that can’t help sweeten up a lady’s heart and her taste buds in an instant. A box of these lovely sweet treats is certainly to win many hearts away. If you are on a budget, you can also consider macarons from other brands or bakeries. There are some  quite good ones out there if you really look.

Flowers

Whether you got another half or you’re single, flowers, such as roses, are a great way to brigthen your day. I love roses and they always make me smile. For the singletons like moi, go out and buy a single rose or a bouquet of roses, or any type of flowers that you like, it is entirely up to you. Not only will they bring out such warmth and beauty to your home, but you can also turn them into dried flowers and do a DIY project, such as putting them in a pretty frame and hang it.

Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate

Not so much of a flower person? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Fresh and healthy strawberries dipped in devililicious dark chocolate is gonna make you want more. And eating dark chocolate has even proven to have health benefits, such as boosting your mood or  feeling less stressed, when taken in moderation. So feel free and indulge in those bouquets of strawberries dipped chocolate without a guilt in the world, for a day  or two at the most, hehe.

Valentines Nail Art

Getting your nails done in Valentines themed design is another way to bring out the love spirit in you. Bring out  all the love colors, the hot pink and hot red is the way to do it. And if you fancy a bit of creativity, you can add hearts, lips, ribbons, or anything you want on your nails. It’s a day where you can be girlie without feeling out of place.

Receiving flowers 

If you’ve got that special other half, be sure to dress your best whilst you wait anxiously for that moment when your Mr. Right to turn up with a bouquet of your favorite flowers and gives you a passionate kiss. Once you go home, remember to put your lovely flowers into a lovely vase where they belong. The rest…well, i guess i don’t need to tell you what to do right?;)

Movie night

What other way to celebrate Valentines night then cuddling up with you other half and watching a romance comedy for  a chilled night. This is for the budget conscious couples and singletons out there though, i have to warn. One of my faves sappy movie as a kid was “My Girl”. Whatever movie you fancy, make sure you prepare a box of tissue because we are bound to shed some tears.

Sweet treats

Baking your own dessert, such as cupcakes or cakes for Valentines day, is another way to express your love. Try to add more pink and red in the color scheme, and you can even add heart sprinkles or make your own heart paper name tags if you like. Of course, if you are not much of a baker, you can always turn to the safer and lazier option, go to a bakery that you’ve been wanting to visit for a long time and see what pretty gems awaits you there.

Beauty

There is no reason for when a lady wants to glam up and the same goes on this extra special day. Make that extra effort on Valentines day to make your Valentine’s heart jump a beat. Put on some shimmery or glossy lip gloss to add some tease to your smile. He will be ready to kiss those passionate lips of yours in no time. Most importantly, you will feel prettier from the inside and the outside. It is  the smallest things, such as a lipgloss at times, which is all we need to feel a difference.

Creativity

The expression of love can be in many forms, and one form that i enjoy is through words. Take out those lovely notebooks that have been in hiding and covered in dust, and write down a sweet poem or love quote that you remember or saw from somewhere. Writing such sweet words or even memories of the present and past is a way to keep the memories ever lasting.

Love

Last but not least, you have to remember the “love” word. Love is something that cannot be missing in any type of relationship, be it friendships, lovers, or families. Always remember to cherish your loved ones and embrace each moment that is given to you everyday. Enjoy some relaxing and quality time with your other half and try to find that happiness between the two of you, the happiness just like that very first moment you both laid eyes on each other.

May everyday be a Valentines day for you.

Day trip to Granville Island

As those that follow my blog will know, i went to Vancouver for my very first time in December, where i spent my Christmas there along with my two BFFs. I was beyond excited to celebrate such a festive holiday at my BFF’s home town, in a new surrounding and along with new experiences to remember by.

One of the must see places if you ever visit Vancouver is Granville Island. It’s a shopping district located in the False Greek and is one of the major tourist attractions. It’s also interesting to know that this much relaxed area was once an industrial and manufacturing area, and i always like to visit places that has a bit of history to it.

So it was much to my delight when i found out that BFF had arranged for a chilled lunch for us and some of her friends at “the sand bar”, a restaurant that serves fresh and delicious seafood in Granville Island. Ms. C and i were just as delighted knowing we would get to eat delicious food as we were in meeting some new faces, and quickly dragged out lazy butts out of bed.

Upon arriving to the sand bar, we were greeted by a lovely view of Granville Island, and there was even a bit of sunshine to welcome us. The sand bar is a lovely restaurant with wooden interiors and tall windows that allows a great view while you eat away in great company. There were 2 floors and we decided to sit on the lower floor where we quickly ordered our meal. I slowly and surely savored my black cod served with rice and veggies, where the black cod was  sweet, juicy, and smooth in its texture. It was definitely one of the best meals i had throughout my entire trip.

A walk in the Granville Island market was up next in our agenda as everyone were craving for a coffee fix. As this market was indoors, it was also the perfect way to stay out of the cold as the sun started setting in. Like a proper tourist, Ms. C and I wandered around the market where we found ourselves swarmed by endless stalls with people selling their local produces and goodies. The varieties of souvenirs to take home was endless, ranging from fresh fruits, chocolates, candies, pastries, maple syrup and maple syrup tea, to even rainbow colored lollipops with a quirky name like “suckers”. I have to confess, not the best of names for lollipops but it definitely caught my attention.

The non food zone within the market did not fail to ignite my curiosity or admiration either. A quick browse through the flower stands where i stood and admired the gorgeous colors was all it took to make me smile from within. It’s these small things in life where we really need to hold onto that very moment and live it . The were also plenty of DIY stalls for those that are more into the arty stuff.  I could not stop but stand in amazement when i passed by this stall where this lady was selling and making these really cute hand made Christmas decorations.

As the end of the day drew closer, we finished up getting our souvenirs, mostly food, and sat outside the benches to enjoy the view before biding farewell to Granville Island.

Have you ever been to Granville Island? And what great adventures did you have there?