Change…

We go through changes constantly throughout our lives, at an never ending cycle. Change can be ones worse enemy as we are more at ease with what we are familiar with. Or it can be the best thing to happen to you. It is through change and challenges, that an individual grows as a person and overcomes their fear.

Today could just be the day where I experienced the biggest change in my entire life, in terms of my career. Words cannot even describe how I feel. My manager had resigned, with this Friday being her last day. I got promoted this morning, and not only am I responsible for my department, but I have to manage and train a new staff that we hired a month ago! This new staff will be needing my guidance and she will report to me directly. I am filled with mixed emotions right now – feeling excited, scared, nervous, and doubting myself, all at the same time. The departure of my manager was immensely felt today in the office, as we went through our 3.5 hours of hand over talk and the pressure was surely on, with the given information overload. Yet, a recent friend of mine, reminded me of something very important in life and he told me ” just don’t forget that everything is difficult in the beginning”. I hold these words very close to my heart and mind during this desperate time in need. It will be a big change and challenge ahead but I know it is for the better. This is a great opportunity of a life time and I shall embrace it:)

I have not much else to say and just really wanted to share some inspirational photos with you all. I guess this is the perfect moment to express the saying that “photos speak a thousand words”.

Photo source: weheartit

In the city of love: Paris

As we enter July along with the hot summery season in full swing, I cannot help but keep dreaming of a getaway. It only seems like yesterday when I went to Europe with my family for my 30th birthday last September, where my parents got their first taste of Paris. It was my second time going to Paris but i think it’s fair to say that going to this lovely city just once or twice is not enough.

If you ever do go visit Paris, here are a few of my must do, see, and go to.

1. Enjoying the city while eating away

Walking around the city of love, while searching for local yummy food is a must do. There is something exciting and fun about experiencing another culture through eating. On the way walking to La tour Eiffel, I noticed some food stalls that were selling these colorful twirl lollies and delicious gelato ice cream.

We ended up eating some not so cheap but yummy baguettes and sat on a bench in a park. The sun was beaming as we slowly savored our baguettes and we couldn’t had asked for more, considering it was suppose to be a promise of rain that day.

To no surprise, Paris had plenty of streets that were packed with bakery shops, which was absolutely paradise for me. The moment of walking into a bakery with the aroma of fresh baked goods followed by a “bonjour” is what made the experience oh so very poshly French to me. One of their worldly recognized dessert, Macaron, was definitely on my list to try as well. After all, it was in Paris where i had my first taste of macarons and i fell in love with them then and there. I could already hear Laduree and Fachoun calling my name.

2. Discovering the streets of Paris in the simplest way

One of the things I love most about Paris are the art work and paintings that are displayed on the streets. My dad was so cute and bought a small painting of La tour Eiffel and said that he would frame it when we get back to Hong Kong. Sadly,this lovely painting is still in my dad’s room collecting dust and missing a lovely photo frame to accompany it, lol.

A stop by at the souvenir shops are a must as I love getting little gifts to myself and my friends and families back home. As i got a magnet collection for each country i visit, the Parisian themed magnets were on my top list to get. Other small gifts idea are postcards with scenic views of Paris, la tour Eiffel key chains, or other special nick nacks.

Other beauties that caught my attention was this colorful and slightly worn out looking merry go around. My sister has this fascination about merry go around and so there I stood along with her and snapped a photo of it before we crossed the road. A simple form of nature such as the fallen leaves on the ground would inspire me to attempt at taking an arty photo. My turquoise flats seemed like a perfect color combo with the yellowish leaves on the ground, and was a great way to symbolize that i’ve stepped foot onto Paris. Maybe not in the most obvious way but it felt right at that moment as I took the shot.

3. Taking the tourist bus to get the most out of the main tourist attractions

The hop on and off bus must have been the best invention ever for tourists on visits. It’s easy and carefree and you can stop or get on wherever you want in Paris. I’ve already done all this on my first trip to Paris but taking my parents there was an entirely different and special experience.

La tour Eiffel

Everyone who goes to Paris will inevitably visit la tour Eiffel at least once. And i got to say, I never got sick of this beautiful view for the 3 days that I stayed there. You can take photos of it from afar, up close, or like me, take a shot of it from below. This angle is amazing especially during the day time when the sun is beaming against the la tour Eiffel. If you want to be more adventurous and have time, you can walk up or take the lift up. I walked half way up this tower with a friend back in my uni days and I assure you, the view will be worth ever step.

Louvre Palace and Louvre Museum

Taking a stroll in the Louvre museum is a great and relaxing way to enjoy some art time, for those that are interested to discover the artsy side of Paris. If the weather permits, you can even try to capture beautiful shots from the outside of the Louvre Palace. The triangle glass ceiling of the Louvre museum is one of my favorite characteristics about this place.

The Palais Garnier Opera House

Enjoy local ballets and opera performances if you fancy a bit of rest time while indulging to some great melodies with class. The Palais Garnier is of course, also one of the world’s most well know opera houses, that has the most beautiful yet historical architectural features to its building. Taking a photo of this beauty is a must, whether with you in the photo or not.

Notre- Dame cathedral, the Eglise du Dome church, and La Madeleine church

The churches and cathedrals are also worth a visit to understand more about the history of France. It’s a quiet and sacred place where you can calm your thoughts away from the busy city of Paris, and find peace momentarily. The architectural structures of these buildings are of course, of such beauty, which you can admire from a distance or in close proximity.

How would you spend your time in Paris, and which activities mentioned above is your favorite?

Photo source: by me

Looking back at 2012…

As we enter the second week of 2013, I cannot help but think how fast the time is moving. It feels like only yesterday that I was still in beautiful Vancouver having a lovely Christmas holiday with friends.

If I had to sum up 2012, I would say I had a pretty fruitful year where I accomplished a few new years resolution that I had set out earlier in the year. One of my biggest accomplishments was joining Toastmasters, where I conquered my fear of public speaking. This opened doors for me to other public speaking opportunities, such as being the MC for my company’s annual dinner at the Four Seasons hotel. I also made 2012 my traveling year where I traveled to Beijing, Europe, and Canada. It was the best thing that i could had ever had done, with special and memorable moments that will always stay with me. Of course, there are also the smaller things but that means just as much to me, which I enjoyed throughout the year. Such moments that I truly appreciated were the quality times spent with friends and families, high tea’ing over hours of rambling with girlfriends, a trip to Paul Lafayet for my macaron fix, pampering myself with a new manicure or just simply buying myself a small gift to brighten my day.

Here is a sneak peak into my 2012, and i know 2013 will be just as good, or even better.

Beautiful flowers, kuamquat (tangerine) trees, and delicious Chinese treats were everywhere during Chinese New Year, where families gathered together to watch fireworks, as a way to welcome the year ahead. I had the opportunity to be the MC for my company’s annual dinner at the Four Seasons hotel,which was an unforgettable experience. Got spontaneous one day and decided to try a new Israeli nail polish brand, Laka. The numerous choices of colors lured me to their mini express manicure shop, where I purchased 3 lovely colors in green, pink, and lavender. Took BFF to the luxury Armani Aqua restaurant to celebrate her big 30, where it served a mixed fusion of Japanese and Italian food. It was a lovely and chilled night where we laughed non stop about anything. Finally went to a live jazz performance to see the talented English jazz singer, Clare Teal, who sang with such passion and lit up the entire room. I got to speak to her in person while she signed her latest album “Hey Ho” for me, and she is such a down to earth person.

Easter came before i knew it, and a short trip to Beijing with my BFF was arranged so we could visit our dearest Ms. C in Beijing to keep her company. We did all the things a tourist could do – ate their local Peking duck at the infamous “DaDong”, boat pedalling in the Summer Palace where we saw the sun set, and of course, went to the Forbidden City to admire their historical Chinese architecture. It was my first ever gift giveaway to celebrate my blog’s 3 years anniversary finally , where i presented a lovely Parisian themed calender, lip gloss and nail polish set. Reading mode was back on track and i bought 3 books to help kill time for those long train rides going home. Took mom and dad out for high tea at “The Parlor” on Mothers day for an relaxing afternoon and got her a lovely bouquet of red roses. My fave Japanese pop singer, Namie Amuro, had released a new album called Uncontrolled, and i bought it the minute i found it. The song “Love Story” is super good.

Light shopping spree for no particular reason, got some colorful flats and the SATC movie version DVDs. I practically lived on the SATC series during my studies in London and how i miss those days. Beautiful fireworks were up in the air at Victoria Harbour to celebrate the 1st of July, to commemorate the hand over date of Hong Kong from the UK to the Peoples Republic of China in 1997. My dearest BFF, Ms. C, came to Hong Kong where we all celebrated her birthday at a Japanese restaurant and enjoyed some delicious plume wine. A new scent, Hermès Jardin Sur le Toit was introduced into my new perfume collection, which added a nice and refreshing touch for the summer days.

Traveling mode made it a memorable summer, where i celebrated my big 30th birthday with my families back home in Copenhagen. I felt so blessed that the people i care and love for, were there with me on my special day. They prepared the traditional Danish birthday cake along with the Danish flags decorated on it, where it was enough to serve 25 people!!! Family trip to Europe included our home town, along with London and Paris, which proved to be the best family trip ever. Enjoyed a lot of Parisian macarons and pastries, gazed upon the “La Tour Eiffel” in admiration, revisited old places during my studies in London, such as China Town, London Eye, the shopping zone “oxford circus” and especially Primark, and feeling like a kid all over again in the M&M shop at Leicester Square. Caught up with friends after Euro trip and got treated to some lovely belated birthday drinks in Lan Kwai Fong, talking the night away and with a lot of will power to not get drunk, lol. My first every macaron making class was arranged by my BFF as part of my birthday present, where i failed terribly. But they still tasted good!

October and November were busy months with families visiting. Took my brother and his family to go on the Ngong Ping 360 crystal cable car to go see the infamous Tian Tan Buddha, located at Lantau island in Hong Kong. The crystal cable car had a glass bottom floor, which allowed us to see everything below our feet as we crossed mountains and land. My younger cousin was in town for her 26th birthday, where we celebrated in style with Thai food and wine. Trips to Lan Kwai Fong with my cousin for our cocktail fixes was like a revisit back to the good old times when i used to be a regular there. A visit to Paul Lafeyet for my macaron craving after a bad day at work made everything all better, at least for that brief moment as i slowly savored an Earl Grey flavored macaron. Finally opened the new Gucci perfume i got as a birthday gift from my family and was filled with excitement as i always do when putting on a new scent. I had the honor of being the mc for my toastmasters club’s 3rd year anniversary dinner and was presented with the Brand Building Award, for my contribution to the club as a Vice President of PR.

Busily setting up the Christmas tree and gazing at beautiful Christmas ornaments as the count down for Christmas began. Christmas shopping spree was in full gear, where i bought gifts for families and friends. Laduree finally arrived to Hong Kong on Dec 1st, 2012, and the que was pure madness! I been told that people had to wait for 2 hours and i have yet to try their macarons, and that shall happen after the frenzy dies down.

My last minute trip to Vancouver to spend a hopefully white Christmas with my two BFFs. It was an unforgettable Christmas where i met such great people and enjoyed a lot of delicious food at Christmas house parties, did a road trip to the states for some outlet shopping, experienced my first ever Tim Horton’s latte, visited the Granville market which was filled with fresh produces, their local maple syrup, and beautiful Christmas decorations, and spent quality times with my BFFs where we would talk til 4 or 5 in the morning almost every night! The trip ended with a sad good bye but a bottle of ice wine and ice wine chocolate truffles that i purchased at the airport, was a sweet reminder for me to take home.

The Christmas month also had some good news that came along with it, one of my good old friend from high school was getting married to the love of her life, at the Repulse Bay resort. It was such a lovely and sweet night where i witnessed true love between 2 people, where i was overwhelmed by all the emotions that filled the room that night. Cute “Maison du chocolat” dark chocolates were gifted for guests to take home and mini sweet bites were presented after dinner and dessert. It was definitely a sweet and memorable way to say good bye to 2012!!!

“Christmas in Vancouver, Canada – Dec 2012”

Looking back into 2012, i am truly blessed and will always cherish each and every moment that had moved my heart. It is sometimes the smaller things in life that we take for granted, which turns out to be the more important things. I hope that we will all remember to stop for a moment in our daily busy lives and remind yourself what is most important to you. With that said, I really look forward to a great 2013 and i’m sure it will be a great year and if not, i shall make sure of that. I want to say a big thank you to all of you bloggers for supporting my blog throughout all these years and it really means the world to me.

Wishing you all a happy and fabulous new year in 2013!!!!

Europe, here i come!!!

This is just a quick post to tell ya all that i will be jetting off on a plane in exactly 2.5 hours to Europe!!! Yes, this will be a much needed 2 weeks vacation where i am going back home to Denmark and then off to London, and a brief weekend getaway to the city of love, PARIS!!!! I am going with my parents as well, and it will be their first time to Paris, so i surely will be anticipating nothing but the best for this trip.

Photo source: weheartit

I am already beyond excited and i cannot wait to see all my families and friends. In the mean time, you will have to excuse my absence but i will be back before you know it, and I look forward in sharing my adventures with you all soon!!!

Gift Giveaway: A bit of Paris to you…

As we entered the month of March, I couldn’t help but think how fast time has flown by with summer approaching soon, and that’s when i remembered. During this month, 3 years ago, it was the birth of my lovely blog creation on March 1st, 2009, to be exact. What started out as a hobby has by far gone past that up to this day. I truly enjoy my time blogging away and it’s great to be able to share my experiences to every single one of you out there.

To celebrate such a special occasion, i thought i would do a little good blog-deed and make it extra special by doing my ever first gift giveaway!!! Since it’s to celebrate my blog’s three years anniversary, i decided to give not just one or two but three gifts away! Aren’t you all excited because i am, hehe. To keep the suspense, I will reveal the remaining 2 gifts with a final gift giveaway post soon, so make sure you come back to see what goodies awaits you.

For my first gift, I am giving away this beautiful and dreamy calender with this Parisian theme to it. The images inside are really dreamy, inspiring, and yes, Parisian!!! The lovely macaron image was enough to make me want to go back to Paris immediately.

The calender is categorized by weeks and there are no set years or dates on it, which is a great idea, as it gives you the flexibility to start whatever month or year you wish to. You can even use it next year if you have such good patience and can refrain yourself from not opening this little darling. There are also lined pages at the back of each month where you can scribble down your weekly inspirations, thoughts, or the good old “to do list”.

To enter this gift giveaway is very simple. All you need to do is follow me on WordPress and bloglovin, and leave a comment here or at the final gift giveaway post, and telling me why you should win.

Please enter by April 16 (Monday) and I will pick a winner. Don’t forget to provide an e-mail address so i can contact you if you win. And one more good news, this is open to all countries so best of luck everyone!!!

Parisian Parfum – Filles des iles Perfume

If i had one thing to say about beauty products, it’s that every woman deserves to own a scent, their very own personal perfume scent. Perfumes create an individual smell, style and persona for you, and of course, i’m sure all men would fall for any women that smells nice.

As it so happened, I accidently stumbled upon this lovely French branded collection of perfumes called Filles des iles earlier in December, during my Christmas shopping in Franc Franc. They come in the form of perfumes and perfume oil roll ons, and the smell is in between sweet and refreshing. I’ve never heard of this brand but i do recall seeing it last year, where i thought the smell was too girlie for me at the time.

After one fun accident, where i decided to spray the perfumes on my wrist and let it set in for awhile, the scent just grew on me by the minute! That’s when i decided to buy my first bottle of Filles des iles perfume oil roll on, “floral exotique” (sadly the perfume version is out of stock). It came in this cute 1oml bottle packed in this gorgeous Tiffany blue box, and my heart just sank when i finally had my hands on it.

Photo Source

The Filles des iles perfume comes in two collections, Paradise and Chic. The name of the collection is already good enough to make you fantasize about a heavenly place whilst smelling oh so lovely! My perfume oil roll is from the Paradise collection and the Chic collection is sadly not available in Hong Kong right now. However, i do think it will be a summer perfume choice  if i had to choose.

Have you heard of Filles des iles, and if so, what are your thoughts about this perfume?

Barbie pink is the new black

Long gone are the days when black was the hot stuff. Don’t think so? With the color blocking trend going on lately, it’s inevitable that bright colors are being flaunted everywhere amongst the fashionable fashionistas out there. I’ve particular been inspired by the Barbie pink as i recently bought a top in this color and fell madly in love with it! I’ve worn it a few times already and received quite a few compliments so i know it’s a winner for sure!

I definitely feel that Barbie pink is the new black, for the time being anyway. It’s a perfect color for the summer and it’s a color that makes everyone happy! Oh, and when gloomy cold winter hits, just put on a Barbie pink top/sweater and you’re already all smiles, at least mentally if not physically:) I promise guys, try it!

Barbie Pink Style Inspirations

Barbie Pink Mood Board

Photo Source: Fashionising, Stockholm Street Style, and We heart it

Photo Sunday – Take me to Paris, pretty pls?

Photo Source

Life is a cup of joy:)

I was reading this month’s UK Glamour magazine when i came across an article that caught my attention, it was about 35 steps to happiness. Interestingly, it states  that happiness has to be sought and created by yourself, and i quote “You have to choose to be happy, to lift your mood and look for the positive” (page 110 if you still have the UK Glamour issue). I know its abit of a “duh” fact but hey, we need that reminder every now and then right?:)  So would you consider yourself being happy and content in life right now? I asked myself that very question and i was in doubt at first, but only for a split second.

Of course, i take great pleasure and joy in getting my nose into the fashion glitz and all, but i realised there’s a  more personal aspect to my life that’s become my happiness booster!  I’ve got great families and friends who love me, and they give me such joy and happiness in life. I love you all to death!!! I sure have my share of fun filled memories that i keep to my heart and it always puts a smile on my face:) So what better thing to do then share such precious moments with my fellow bloggers right?????;)  So here is a peek into my life, ready or not!

Froyo time at Yomama!

Sunset in London

In love with Paris

Coffee break

Brooklyn Bridge in black and white

Flower Festival in Canberra

Relaxed dinner with a lovely night view

Japanese food!

Colorful Macarons at the bakery

7am hike in Hong Kong @___@

Cova Blueberry Cheesecake for my bday:)

Shoeaholic!!!!

Chanel store in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Tiffany & Co X'mas tree in Taipei, Taiwan

Enjoying a glass of chilled Jap plum wine, ah....

Laser Beam show at the Victoria Harbour in HK (8pm every night)

Monty - the cuttest cat on earth!!!

Jelly Fish at Ocean Park, HK

Ispahan (Strawberry Macaron) at Sift

Jap Saki

On the Ngong Ping 360 Crystal Cable Car with transparent floor, HK

A walk in City Hall Park, NYC

P.S. I just realised there’s alot of food photos, i hope i don’t make your tummy grumble, lol