Summer Vacation 2012 Itinerary

Ruby Princess

Our summer vacation is finally here! The Boyfriend and I have been counting down the days for months. This year, we have an exceptionally fun vacation planned; a 12-day cruise in the Mediterranean, 3 days in Barcelona, Spain and another week in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Hence, the crazy level of excitement!

First we will fly to Venice, Italy, where we're boarding the Ruby Princess for a 12-day grand Mediterranean cruise with my oldest brother and his fiance. My brother has been working in the cruise industry for many years, and he is now the hotel controller on the Ruby Princess and his fiance is a dancer in the theater productions.

Ruby Princess 12-day Grand Mediterranean Cruise

Looking at the cruise itinerary, I know there won't be much time for being lazy, as we will visit six countries in 12 days. Here's the itinerary:

Sunday, July 29, 2012 - Venice, Italy

Monday, July 30, 2012 - Venice, Italy

Tuesday, July 31, 2012 - Day At Sea

Wednesday, August 1, 2012 - Athens, Greece

Thursday, August 2, 2012 - Kusadasi, Turkey

Friday, August 3, 2012 - Istanbul, Turkey

Saturday, August 4, 2012 - Mykonos, Greece

Sunday, August 5, 2012 - Day At Sea

Monday, August 6, 2012 - Naples, Italy

Tuesday, August 7, 2012 - Rome, Italy

Wednesday, August 8, 2012 - Florence, Italy

Thursday, August 9, 2012 - Monte Carlo, Monaco

Friday, August 10, 2012 - Barcelona, Spain

It will be my first trip to Europe, and I'm glad I'll get to have a little taste of many different countries, so we can choose our favorite and hopefully come back in the future. My parents have done this cruise before, and they still rave about it. I get it; what's not to love about the Mediterranean?

After our cruise, we will spend three days in Barcelona, Spain. I've already printed out our sightseeing and shopping maps, so we're good to go. I'm really happy that we will be able to spend more time in Barcelona, as there are so many places that I want to see.

After our 3 days in Barcelona, we'll fly to Dubai, United Arab Emirates to go and visit my sister and my other brother and his fiance for a week. All three of them are flight attendants for Emirates, which is based out of Dubai. I've been there before and I loved it. There are so many things to do, and don't even get me started on the shopping... It will be The Boyfriend's first time in Dubai, so I'm excited to do all the touristy things with him.

I'm not sure how often I'll get an opportunity to post on my blog during our trip, but I'll try my best share our experiences. Expect thousands of photos though. I hope everyone has a lovely summer!

Day 90 – A picture of your breakfast

I did it! I finished the Photo Challenge. Today, you get to have the honor to see what I had for breakfast. This is not my usual breakfast by the way. During the week, I have oats and black coffee every single morning at work. But on the weekends, I'll have some cereal at home or go out to brunch with friends.

The Boyfriend and I buy those huge boxes of cereal at Costco, which contains three smaller boxes. It has the Special K original, a vanilla flavor and one with berries. I like the vanilla one the best, but I gobbled that up a while ago. So this morning, I'm having some Special K original with cold low fat milk.

Also, my mom sent me these Nescafe Cappuccino sachets from South Africa. She knows how much I love these and I can't get them here in Taiwan. So every time I get a care package from home, I know there will be some Cappuccino deliciousness inside. So there you have it, my breakfast this Saturday morning.

What did you have for breakfast?

Day 88 & 89 – A picture of what you're wearing today

 I've decided to combine my posts for Day 88 (A picture of what you're wearing today) and Day 89 (A picture of the shoes you're wearing today), because I need to finish this picture challenge before I leave for vacation tomorrow.

So this is my second outfit of the day. I didn't have time to take a photo of my work outfit this morning, I was running late. It was boring anyway... Just a t-shirt and some shorts. I work at an elementary school and comfort is the way to go.

I went out for a quick early dinner with a friend, so I just put on this sheer orange sleeveless shirt from Forever 21, tucked into a pair of floral shorts I bought at a local store in Taiwan called NET,my gold Michael Kors watch and my nude patent leather flats from Tory Burch. Also, I'll used my Ladylike Turn Lock bag from Accessorize.

So that's my outfit. Happy Friday, everyone!

July Favorites 2012

I'm aware that this post is a tad early, but I'm leaving on vacation soon, and I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to go online again for a while. I had so many favorites this month, that it was really hard to choose.


July was one of those months where I ran out of all my hair products at once. I had to get new shampoo, conditioner and a hair treatment product. This month, I decided to go back to Kerastase Elixir Ultime after I've been using MoroccanOil Treatment for ages. I don't know why I didn't repurchase this one before, because I just fell in love with it all over again. I love the smell and the way it makes my hair feel afterwards.


Much to my delight, Accessorize is having their 50% off summer sale, so I bought this Autumn Leaf pendant for a bargain. I love simple jewelry, and I thought the little leaf added  nice touch to this understated piece.


I got my first pair of TOMS last year, and I've been wanting to get my hands on another pair for quite a while. I finally bought a pair of gray classic canvas TOMS. They are so comfortable! 


My favorite nail polish this past month was Revlon's Top Speed in "Jaded". It's a nice minty color, and although it takes about three coats to avoid streaks, I'll happily do it, because the result is beautiful. 


I'm not very familiar with NYX products, but I've been pleasantly surprised by NYX's Mega Shine Lip Gloss collection. The formula is quite thick, but not too sticky. And they have a great selection of colors.


I've really been loving pastel denim shorts this summer. I won't stop buying them until I have all the colors of the pastel rainbow. At the moment, I think my pair of pastel peach and mint colored denim shorts are my favorites.


That's it for July, folks! I hope everyone's having a fantastic summer here in the Northern Hemisphere? And to all my friends and family in the Southern Hemisphere; stay warm!

What are your favorites for the month of July?

Day 87 – A picture of your cell phone

Yes, I have an iPhone. I know, it's so boring; everyone and their 5-year old has one. Nowadays there are numerous great phones on the market, I know, but I'm happy to be an Apple girl. I love the look, the updates, the apps and how easy it is to use.

I bought this iPhone 4s back in January, after my iPhone 3GS got stolen. I still don't have a cover for it! I'm so indecisive when it comes to choosing one, and I actually like the look of the phone without it. But I guess I'll have to get one to protect it.

I don't use my phone to go online a lot, but mostly for texting, calling, taking photos, checking my emails, making notes, listening to music and for Instagram. (My Instagram is _LiEsL_ by the way, if you wanted to follow me). For now I'm really happy with the iPhone, but who knows, maybe I'll try something new in the future.

What cell phone do you have? Do you think it's better than the iPhone?

Packing for our cruise

We have officially 2 days to go before we board our plane to Venice, Italy, where we will be starting our 12-day Mediterranean cruise. Which means I'm finally allowed to start packing. (I'm saying "allowed", because The Boyfriend had to stop me about 2 weeks ago when I asked him to take down my suitcase from the closet...)

I have to confess, I love preparing and packing for a trip. My inner OCD freak finally gets the chance to run free and make as many lists as she can possible handle, get as much information as Google can give her, organize, prepare, arrange...

What you see here in the picture, are the items that I'm taking with me on my trip. Now, we might have a little space-in-my-suitcase issue, because this doesn't even include my makeup, toiletries, underwear and formal dresses... but I'm sure this little problem can be solved if a few of my things accidentally falls into The Boyfriend's suitcase...

I'm probably packing too much, as we girls tend to do, but this is my first time on a cruise, and I don't know what to expect. I'd rather be over-prepared and avoid that I-wish-I-had-packed-those-white-jeans situation. That reminds me, I need to pack my white jeans...

Have you ever been on a cruise? Any tips for a first time cruiser?

Day 86 – A picture of your favorite board game

"30 Seconds". Most South Africans will know this board game. I'm not sure if it's sold in other countries, but I know in the States they have a similar game called Taboo.

Basically, you will be in teams of two or more. One of your teammates will pick up a card that has five words on it. Your teammates need to say as many of these words as possible, in 30 seconds, but the person with the card can not say these words themselves. So you have to explain the words to your teammates, or use charades, or whatever you can to make them say those words.

My best friend back in South Africa and I used to kick butt in this game. It's important that you are in a team with someone that knows the same things that you know. For example, we used to refer to episodes of Friends to explain things. This would be a typical explanation:

(*read it really fast for maximum effect)

 

Me:  "That episode where Monica is upset because she ordered videos for her ex boyfriend Richard and it was delivered after they broke up. What videos were those of?" 

Best friend: "The Civil War".

Needless to say, no one wanted to play with us. I love board games, and some of my other favorites are Monopoly, Cluedo and Pictionary.

Do you like playing board games? Which one is your favorite?

Day 85 – A picture of your favorite quote

I just love this quote, because it totally sums up my outlook on life. Nothing annoys me more than people complaining all the time. There must be something good in your life? If not, then you yourself should make a change, and not wait around for other people or situations to change. We are mostly in charge of how good our day will turn out to be.

I like to refer to myself as a "realistic optimist", if that even exists. I know that everyday can't be perfect and good. But every morning when I wake up, I still expect the day to be perfect and good. And it usually is.

We have a lot to be thankful for. I know I do. Just the fact that you're reading this post means that you had an education and can read, that you have access to the internet, which means you can afford it at your house, or you have a job where you can go online. You're already so much luckier than millions of other people, who don't have this luxury.

It's easy to only notice the bad things in your day, and before you know it, your thoughts and energy are consumed by these negative things. After reading The Magic, I now make a conscious effort to list the ten things I'm thankful for every day. I've been doing this for a while, and it's amazing that I can still name ten new things every single day.

What's your favorite quote? 

Day 84 – A picture of your favorite book

For a bookworm like myself, choosing one book as my favorite is nearly impossible. But one book did pop up in my mind as being one of my all time favorites. I've read Dan Brown's Angels & Demons three times, and thoroughly enjoyed it each time.

I'm a huge fan of Dan Brown's books. He is most famous for The Da Vinci Code, but I also really enjoyed his other books, Deception Point and Digital Fortress. I recently read The Lost Symbol as well and liked that one, too.

Please don't judge these amazing works of fiction by watching the movies. The thing I like most about Dan Brown's books are that the entire story usually plays out in about 24 hours. Which means that as you are reading, you feel the struggle and the urgency with the characters throughout the book. 

When watching the movie, I felt that everything happened too fast and it was too easy. I didn't have that feeling of urgency while watching the movies. Although, I did still enjoy watching it, just because I liked seeing all the famous places mentioned in the books.

Do you like Dan Brown's books? Can you name your favorite book of all time?

Day 83 – A picture of something that makes you feel accomplished

Chances are pretty slim that you will have ANY idea what these two pages are, and why they make me feel accomplished. Allow me to explain.

As most of you know, I'm going on vacation soon, and I'll be gone for almost a month. That means that when I get back to Taiwan, the new school year will start and I have to be ready to start teaching my classes again.

Thus, the two-page check list of things I have to finish before leaving for vacation. I'm proud to say that I've finished all my preparation for next semester, and I'll have a sound mind on vacation, knowing that all my work is finished and everything's ready for me when I get back.

Let me tell you, it feels great to have finished all this work. It took me many many hours in front of the computer, creating lesson plans, worksheets and other teaching materials. But it was totally worth it! Man, there really are only a few things in life that can give you as much satisfaction as checking things off a list. Am I right?

Day 82 – A picture of your favorite nail polish color

I don't even know how many times I've raved about this nail polish color, so that's why I think this one must be my favorite for spring and summer; Essie's Tart Deco.


I bought it last summer, and I often find myself reaching for this one out of my collection. Now, you can ask The Boyfriend about my nail polish collection... In his words: "Baby, why do you have so many bottles of nail polish? Do you really need that many?' He obviously doesn't "get it". Yeah, sure, I don't "need" all of them... Actually, no I do! I need them all!

I love buying new ones, and different shades of red, pink and orange makes up for most of my collection.

What is your favorite nail polish color? Can you pick just one?

Day 81 – A picture of a place you went today

Oops, I didn't post a photo yesterday. Please forgive me. It was Sunday and I was just way too lazy to do anything more than eat and nap.


So this is a photo of my office at work. As you can see, there are six seats, but no people in them. Everyone's already on their summer breaks, but I'm only leaving this coming weekend. So I have the office to myself, and I'm busy preparing for next semester.


Not that exciting, but this is where I'll be spending most of my day, and then I'll run some errands and go back home.

Did you go, or are you going, somewhere interesting today?

Day 80 – A picture of something yellow

My mom always tells me that I can't wear yellow. She's right, of course, as always. It just doesn't compliment my skin tone. That said, I purchased this pair of yellow cut off denim shorts a couple of weeks ago. I figured that it's summer, my legs are more tan, and so it definitely doesn't look bad.

This is, however, the only yellow item of clothing that I own, Mom! I promise. I've really been loving the bright and pastel denim trends this year, so when I was walking down the street and spotted this pair, I just had to have it. And for about $10, it was a freakin' steal!

I now own a pair of yellow, mint green, pastel purple and peach colored cut off denim shorts. Obsessed much? Yes! I'm definitely taking all of them with me on my summer vacation; they'll be perfect.

Do you have anything yellow in your closet?

Day 79 – A picture of something that made you smile today

This morning I was having coffee and checking out my Pinterest homepage, when I saw this still from a Friends episode, "The one with Ross's tan". Of course I smiled, because I can totally hear Chandler's character giving that sarcastic comeback.


If you don't know this episode from Friends, well, then you and I can never be actual friends... It's hilarious. Ross goes to a tanning place to get a spray tan, but it doesn't work out so well. You can watch those scenes here:

The one with Ross's tan 

(Sorry, I was unable to embed the video, just click on the link.)

I hope this made you smile, too. Happy Friday, everyone!

Day 78 – A picture of what’s inside your fridge

I know this photo was supposed to go up yesterday, but Blogger decided to give me the finger and I couldn't upload the image (which is basically the glue that holds this post together...)


I really wish the content of our fridge was more exciting, but we try to keep it simple. I eat breakfast and lunch at work, and The Boyfriend eats lunch and dinner at work, so we don't really have the need for a lot of food at home. 


Let's start at the top left; we have a glass of water (The Boyfriend likes it cold, and I like my water at room temperature). Then we have margarine, sliced cheese and multigrain bread. Below that we have blueberries and strawberries. (My favorite summer fruits!)


Next to the strawberries is a container with brown rice. On the bottom shelf we have pasta sauce, a random beer and some chicken in a glass container. I think behind that is some mayonnaise. 


Now let's move over to the door. From the top to the bottom; just the standard refrigerator door stuff; eggs, yogurt, chili sauce, peanut butter, mustard, pesto, honey mustard dressing, milk, maple syrup and Ranch.


So this is what's in our fridge at the moment. It's pretty standard. It can get a little crazy in there after a trip to Costco, though, but I try to keep it clean and free of expired products.


I hope you enjoyed this, very nosy, journey into the contents of our refrigerator?

Firmoo Sunglasses Review

Sorry for my messy hair, I should have run a comb through it or something. This is the product of a day at work,  running errands and doing chores at home. Try to focus on the eye wear instead.

I love free stuff! And judging by the line of people waiting for a free cube of cheese at the local supermarket, so does many other people. So I was excited when Firmoo.com asked me if I'd review a pair of their sunglasses, which I could pick out myself and they'll ship to me for free.

Shipping took 2 days, and I couldn't wait to dig into that parcel and see the sunglasses for myself. I'll be totally honest with you; my expectations weren't very high. I'm not sure why. Maybe because it was for free, or maybe because the prices are so affordable.

The sunglasses came with a case, a cute pink case I might add, a black bag and a light pink cleaning cloth.I was absolutely delighted when I saw the sunglasses. I had picked out this specific pair, the #OTO2543, as it appealed to me the most out of all the options. For only $40.00, the first thing I noticed was that these sunglasses actually look very expensive. I tried it on and I really like the fit as well. 

Overall, I'm really impressed with this product, and I'm definitely taking these sunglasses with me on vacation.


Now, I know you like free stuff, too, so here is some cool info; Firmoo.com offers a FREE pair of eye wear to new customers. That means that if you have never ordered anything from their site, you can go on the website right now, pick out a pair, and they'll send it to you for FREE! (You will have to pay for shipping though, and I don't know how much that is. You can find more info here.)


I'd definitely recommend this product, so go on and get your free pair!

*Disclosure

These sunglasses were sent to me for free by firmoo.com to review on my personal blog, Pretty.Random.Things. I'm not being paid by the company to advertise their site or products. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Day 77 – A picture of your bathroom

Okay, this is weird. I don't know why anyone would want to see a picture of our bathroom. But here it is, in it's full orange glory. I can't even remember why we decided on orange... I'm sure there was some strange reason for it. I'm definitely thinking of changing the color scheme later this year. Maybe a light blue or green?

Anyways. So our bathroom is not the standard Taiwanese bathroom. In most apartments, the bathroom is just one big open room, with no bathtub or shower curtain, and EVERYTHING gets wet while you take a shower. So we were pretty lucky to get a "normal" bathroom.

Also, guests are always amused by our Japanese toilet. It can do almost anything except clean our house. Actually, it probably can... I don't really know how to use it.

What color do you think I should  change the bathroom to?

Day 76 – A picture of something your mom bought you

My mom sent me this cook book for Christmas last year. Or was it my birthday? I don't remember. We had a good laugh, because as you can probably figure out, it's a children's cook book, and I'm obviously not a child. 

I've never been very interested in cooking, as I grew up in a house where we had someone cook for us every day. I would say it's only been the past few years that I've finally started experimenting with cooking and baking more often, which I actually really enjoy now.

My mom thought it would be funny to send me this cook book, which is in Afrikaans if you were wondering. After flipping through it though, I noticed it had some really awesome recipes in it. You know, it's just the basics; no fancy schmancy recipes. Just basic pancakes, cupcakes, oven baked fries and things like that. I actually really like this, because then you can experiment and add things you personally like.

I think I might just whip out this bad boy for dinner tonight...

Day 75 – A picture of the most embarrassing item in your closet

Yes, I have a shirt in my closet with a topless girl giving you the middle finger; why wouldn't I? I can explain...

Last year when The Boyfriend and I were in Thailand, we saw this shirt at a street market and thought it was funny. It was so cheap and neon, I just couldn't resist. I actually wore it a bunch of times on our vacation and no one even blinked when I walked past them.

After our vacation, we came back to Taiwan. One day, I was wearing it while exercising at home and I decided to run out to the supermarket. I got disapproving looks from elderly Taiwanese ladies on my way there, and actually felt very embarrassed as I was shopping at the supermarket and received many stares from judging parents and interested kids. I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Needless to say, I haven't worn it since, and I really don't know why I still have it in my closet...

Day 74 – A picture of something you baked

I wish I had taken photos of things I have baked in the past, but no such thing exists, because there's usually no time for photo taking after it comes out of the oven. Must.get.in.my.mouth.immediately.

So I had to bake something today, just to take a photo. And after going through my cupboard to see what ingredients I have to work with (I'm not walking to the supermarket, it's 1 million degrees outside...) I decided to bake scones.

I've been obsessing over scones this past week, especially the ones my mom make. So I found an easy recipe, and it was really simple to make.

Now I know what you're thinking; Liesl, what's up with the shape of the scones? Okay, so I don't have a scone shape cutter, so I just made some random balls with my hands. Don't they say it's what's on the inside that counts, anyway? 

Well, I already stuffed one in my face and it's freakin' delicious. I like to have scones with some margarine and strawberry jam. Shredded cheese on it is good, too! If you'd like to give this a try, here's the recipe I used for English Scones. 

Have a nice weekend!

Day 73 – A picture of your favorite childhood movie

I was obsessed with this movie as a child. Still am a little bit... My grandmother had recorded it for us on a VHS tape, and my brothers, my sister and me used to watch it all the time.

There are just so many things that appealed to me in this movie. I loved the adventure, the pirates, and that they took all the animals with them from the ship to the island when they had shipwrecked. Also, those kids could play outside in the jungle all day long!

And then, of course, the tree house. THAT tree house. The one that I had numerous sleepless nights over, fantasizing about one day living in it myself. How awesome was that? 

What was your favorite childhood movie?

Day 72 - A picture of a ticket

This was quite an interesting photo to prepare for. It's not hard to find a ticket in our apartment, they are everywhere. On the refrigerator, in the basket by my nightstand, in my closet, in drawers and basically on any open surface.

As I was searching for a ticket to photograph, I found a Lady Gaga concert ticket, a Roxette concert ticket, numerous movie stubs, airplane tickets, and a bunch of tickets from concerts and shows that The Boyfriend attended.

At first I didn't know which one to pick, so I just chose the most recent ticket. This movie ticket stub is from Sunday evening. The Boyfriend and I went to see "Ted", after we've heard some friends rave about it. 

We really enjoyed the movie and thought it was hilarious. I can imagine not everyone liking it, because as you can expect from the creator Seth MacFarlane (from Family Guy fame), the humor in the movie is crude and vulgar.

Have you seen the movie "Ted"? What did you think about it?

Day 71 – A picture of your sunglasses

I feel like I've posted about my sunglasses a lot in the past few weeks. Maybe because it's summer? But here they are again. This is the classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer in black. I can't believe that I've had them for three and a half years already, and they still look brand new.


I love classic sunglasses, and that's why I wear these Wayfarers or my Ray-Ban Aviators most frequently. They are good quality, easy to find, and reasonably priced.


I've been eyeing another pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses the past couple of months; the Ray-Ban Clubmaster. I know this one won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I really like it. I just can't decide if I want it in black or tortoiseshell. What do you think?

What's your favorite pair of sunnies?

Day 70 – A picture of the last thing that you bought

Just the other day my friend Sonia, from Soniarita, tweeted about the Kérastase products that she will be trying next. It reminded me that I was almost out of the shampoo and conditioner that I use, so I had to go out this past weekend to stock up.

I have just finished the Kérastase Bain Chromo Riche shampoo and Kérastase Masquintense conditioner recently. I always repurchase Masquintense, but I've tried several of the shampoos. I can't say that Bain Chromo Riche has been one of my favorites. I feel like it dried my hair out a bit and I won't buy it again.

I repurchased my ultimate favorite Kérastase shampoo, Bain Satin. This one seems to work the best on my hair and gives me the best results. Even just after using it once, my hair is softer and more manageable.

Have you ever used Kérastase? Which product works the best for you?

Day 69 – A picture of your lunch

During the semester, I usually bring my own lunch to work, even though I do have the option to eat the food that's prepared for the entire staff at my school. Having braces, and generally liking more healthy foods, it's worked out better for me to bring my own lunch.

But because we are currently busy with Summer Camp, I've just been eating the lunch boxes that are provided for the students every day.

Lunch boxes are very common in Taiwan, and usually contain a piece of meat (chicken, beef, fish or pork), white rice, vegetables and tofu. And more often than not, there's something in there that I have no clue what it is. I just eat it anyway...

It's a lot of food, and even though I'm starving at lunch time, I can't finish everything. Many Westerners don't like it, but I kind of like the surprise element to it. You just never know what you're going to get...

Day 68 – A picture of something red

I don't know why, but I immediately thought about nail polish when I read what today's picture should be. I absolutely love red nail polish, and at the moment, I have eight different red nail polishes in my collection. Yes, because I really "need" eight...

I picked these two to show you, as they are my favorites. On the left is Revlon's Revlon Red(680) and on the right is OPI's Big Hair Big Nails(NL T21).

This one from Revlon is just that classic red that I think every girl should have in her collection. I wear it all the time during fall and winter. It has a blueish undertone, which makes it perfect for the cooler months.

And the one from OPI has a more orange-y tint to it. I also wear this one in fall and winter, but sometimes it even sneaks onto my nails in summer and spring.

In general, I'm a big fan of Revlon nail polishes. It's good quality for a drugstore brand, lasts long and usually only requires one or two coats. And, of course, you can never go wrong with an OPI nail polish. Although this specific color requires two or three coats to be totally opaque.

What is your go-to red nail polish?

GUEST BLOGGER: What's in my bag?

Today, our guest blogger here on Pretty.Random.Things. is the adorable and beautiful Alynne-Leigh from Pink Lemonade: Designed to Love. I was so happy when she agreed to share with us what's in her bag. This is my all-time favorite type of post to read. Yeah, I'm just that nosy...

Alynne-Leigh

When Liesl asked me to do a "What's In My..." post, I couldn't help but write about What's in My Bag. Handbags are my favorite accessory, and it's very rare that I'm carrying anything less than everything around with me, from day to day.

In fact, I'm not sure if my bag has ever been cleaner than it is this week. I just switched bags for summer, and this is what I'm carrying around:

a. My fast flats - These babies come in a little gold pouch for a reason. I love wearing heels and pumps, but after an eight hour shift at work, my feet start begging me for some TLC, and these shoes know just how to save the day!

b. Shades - Now that it's summer time, I don't leave the house without my sunglasses. You've gotta protect your peepers! These ones are my favorite: they're Simply Vera Wang from Kohl's, and were totally free when I used my Kohl's cash!

c. Keys to the world - Okay. They're not keys to the whole world. They only unlock my car and an old minivan. But, hey, that's pretty close. 

d. Expired coupons - Every girl needs an extensive supply of coupons past their prime in her handbag, and I am no exception. If you're looking for freebies and discounts from three months ago, my bag is the place to find them.

e. Chewy bar - Shopping, rushing from class to class, and getting stuck in traffic can really work up an appetite. That's why I don't leave home without an emergency chewy bar in my purse.

f. My little iPod - I have a bigger iPod Touch, somewhere. But I absolutely love my little iPod. I think the last time I uploaded music to it was when I was still in high school, so a lot of the songs are old and outdated, but they're my favorites, and every time I listen to these songs, it takes me back. 

g. The berry - I'll admit it: I have a problem. I think I'm addicted to my cell phone. I don't go anywhere without it. When I'm not texting or calling someone else, I'm using it to surf Facebook or catch up on my favorite blogs' RSS feeds. I'm hooked.

h. Little bag of wonders - And by wonders I mean makeup. I don't go anywhere without this bag. It's a public service, really. Trust me.

i. Wallet - Home of credit cards, loose change, and expired coupons, my wallet has seen better days (considering how empty it's been lately!). But, you know, I love it anyway. 

What's in your bag?

Day 67 – A picture of a stuffed animal

Everyone, meet Kaitlin and Camel Toe. They came from far away lands  and now live on the bookshelf in our study here in Taiwan.

When The Boyfriend came to visit me in South Africa for the first time back in 2009, he had just finished his travels in Australia and New Zealand. He got me this cute stuffed koala at a zoo in Australia, and we named her Kaitlin the Koala. (We are very fond of alliteration...)

And then, after traveling to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, I went to visit The Boyfriend in North Carolina. I thought that Kaitlin would need a friend, so I bought him this stuffed camel, whom we lovingly called Camel Toe.

We decided to bring them with us back to Taiwan, and we get a kick out of making up silly stories of what kind of mischief they get into while we are both at work or when we are away on vacation. Okay, that's embarrassing... I'll stop talking now.

Day 66 – A picture of your favorite piece of jewelry

I've never been one who loves wearing a lot of jewelry and accessories. Because I have freakishly thin wrists, most bangles and bracelets look ridiculous on me and, frankly, annoys the crap out of me. That's why I usually only wear a watch, some stud earrings and a necklace.

This is by far my favorite piece of jewelry, because it goes with almost everything. It's dainty and understated, which is totally my style when it comes to necklaces. 

This piece of jewelry is one of the only gifts that The Boyfriend has ever bought me without me picking it out myself. He surprised me with this silver bean necklace from Tiffany & Co. on my birthday after we've been together for about four months.

I'm really happy that he chose this necklace, because I love it. Good job, Baby!

Day 65 – A picture of something you borrowed from someone else

I borrowed these DVDs from my sister ages ago. Two years ago maybe... This was a very popular TV show back in the late eighties and early nineties in South Africa, and I have never met an Afrikaans family that didn't watch it growing up.

Because it's in Afrikaans, The Boyfriend has not been able to watch the episodes with me. Even though he understands quite a lot of Afrikaans now, he doesn't understand the humor. It's very "local". I have to explain many things to him, because we use a lot of idioms and expressions in our language.

I still haven't watched all the episodes, and will usually only pop it in when I have South African guests staying over at our place. They "get it". I guess I'll have to return these soon. She probably forgot that I had it...

Day 64 - A picture of something green

Is it a lawn? Is it a golf course? Nope, that would be our living room rug. So I know what you're thinking; That's a very VERY green rug for a living room. Well, yes, I'm aware of that, thank you. Let me explain how the green rug came to be.

When The Boyfriend and I moved into our apartment 2 years ago, it was already furnished. As you can see, we have yellow-ish hardwood floors, off white walls, and then we were also blessed with a gold couch and matching curtains (don't get me started!). 

So when we made a much needed trip to Ikea, we were especially looking for some colorful items to add to our very dull apartment. We picked out some pink and gray pillows for the couch, some colorful throws and then, as the crowd parted... Green Rug stared back at us from across the display room.

We were a little on the fence about this one, but it was between the green rug and an off white one, which just didn't make any sense. So we took a chance on the green rug, and we never looked back. Well... maybe we did stare at it for about 2 weeks after we placed it on the floor in the living room, not being able to make up our minds if we love it or hate it.

But after 2 years, Green Rug is still being displayed oh-so-proudly, doing it's job of keeping the bottoms of our feet nice and cozy. I guess it just needed to grow on us... See what I did there.