February Favorites 2013

Now that the Love Month has come to an end, it's time for me to choose my favorites. This was a toughie, as I used a bunch of new products and got to wear lots of new spring and summer clothes while on summer vacation. But I can't list them all, so I present to you my six favorites from the month of February:

1. ASOS Fine Cross Bracelet

asos.com (US$ 11)

I was searching for just a dainty gold bracelet to wear with my gold watch and found this cutie on ASOS.com. It's inexpensive and I wear it almost every day. The gold plating is already wearing off a little, so I think I'll have to get a new one soon. Absolutely love it!

2. Soap & Glory "Clean Girls" Body Wash

amazon.com (US$ 11)

This is the second body wash I've used from Soap & Glory and I really like this one, too. It seems like I can't get enough of these products and want to try the "Sugar Crush" body wash next.

3. "Trafficked" by Sophie Hayes

bookdepository.com (US$ 10)

I bought this book at the airport in Cape Town and couldn't put it down once I started reading. The book is really heartbreaking at first, but Sophie is such an inspirational person and I'd definitely recommend it. 

4. Tory Burch "Emmy" sandals

shopbop.com (US$ 195)

Oh I just love these Emmy sandals from Tory Burch and wore them almost every day on vacation in South Africa. They really go with everything, and they're so pretty! I'm getting the black ones as well, as I know I'll wear them to death this coming spring and summer.

5. ESSIE "Minimalistic"

amazon.com (US$ 6)

I bought this color,Minimalistic, for my mom, and liked it so much that I ended up wearing it for most of my time on vacation. It's a pretty neutral, and perfect for spring!

6. LUSH "The Kiss" lip gloss

lush.co.uk (US$ 8)

Yes, the lip balm freak couldn't help herself and had to try this lip gloss when I saw, and smelled, it at LUSH. It goes on silky smooth and smells good enough to eat, like sugar and candy. The color is not overwhelming and only adds a light pink tint to my lips.

What did you LOVE this past month?

South Africa Snapshots

It's been almost a week since my vacation in South Africa came to an end, but I'm still daydreaming about the perfect blue-sky days we had and fun times with friends and family.

I thought I'd share some of my favorite snapshots from my vacation, and if you'd like to see more pics, you can check out my Instagram, username @_liesl_, where I posted photos daily throughout my time in South Africa.

Table Mountain, Cape Town

Harbor in Struisbaai

The Boyfriend and I at the most southern tip of Africa, where the two ocean meet.

On our way to my friend's farmhouse between Bredasdorp and Swellendam

Me at my sister-in-law's bachelorette party

View of Somerset West and Strand, close to Cape Town

Beautiful flowers in my mom's lovely garden

Me having fun at the beach in Struisbaai

Struisbaai beach

Flying back to Taiwan

I hope you enjoyed these photos. I'm already excited about going to South Africa again next year, there's just no place like home!

Congratulations & Celebrations

My brother and his beautiful bride cutting the cake

If only all weddings were as fun as South African ones! If you've ever been lucky enough to attend one, you know that there are usually more laughing than talking and more dancing than walking, and it's impossible to go home before the early hours of the morning. After being engaged for four years, my brother and his stunning wife, Yelena, got hitched in Bredasdorp, the small town I'm from at the southern tip of Africa. And what a wonderful day it was!

Justin Alexander wedding dress

It was my first time being a bridesmaid, which involved getting up really really early and getting my hair and makeup did at eleven in the morning. It was fun though, and we had wonderful people beautifying us. After that we got dressed in our blue bridesmaid dresses, drank champagne, and helped the bride get ready, all whilst being snapped by two lovely photographers.

Bredasdorp Dutch Reformed Church

My brother and Yelena decided to get married in the big and beautiful Dutch Reformed Chuch in Bredasdorp, as that's the church we've been attending with our parents ever since 1987, when we moved there. The guests arrived and it was great seeing family that I haven't seen in forever, because I live in Taiwan.

Me and the lovely bride

It was awesome that Yelena's parents and her sister were able to attend the wedding, as they live in Ukraine and they don't speak a word of English. Somehow we all managed to communicate though. It was beautiful and overwhelming when the huge church organ started playing the wedding march and the gorgeous bride's dad walked her down the aisle. It was hard not shedding a tear of joy, especially when I saw my brother, his best man and my parents tear up.

Dancing with my man

The sermon was absolutely beautiful and nobody could stop talking about it afterwards. The minister did an amazing job, and the message was so touching because he knows my brother and our family personally.

The Boyfriend caught the garter, and my sister caught the bouquet

After the "I do's", the exchanging of rings, and the "you may kiss the bride", all the guests made the journey to L'Agulhas, the most southern town on the continent of Africa, where the reception was being held.

All the guest dancing and enjoying the wedding

The reception hall looked like a fairyland and it wasn't long before everyone started dancing to the music of the live band. The speeches were touching, hilarious and filled with love and well-wishes. 

Left to right: My sister, The Boyfriend, me and my dad. Enjoying the delicious food.

Of course, the absolute best thing about a proper South African wedding is the food. The caterer did a fantastic job and everyone went back for seconds and thirds. No pretentious small portions here! Our plates were filled with mouthwatering gammon, salads, pumpkin fritters and roasted potatoes. If that weren't enough, the dessert table made us drool, too. There was a chocolate fountain, fruit, tiramisu and, of course, the beautiful wedding cake, which tasted just as good as it looked.

The dessert table

I had a great time catching up with my grandmother, all my uncles, aunts, cousins and our friends. I didn't manage to catch the bouquet, which my sister snagged out from right under my nose, but The Boyfriend did catch the garter, which means we're next in line. No problem, because I'm all for another unforgettable wedding in South Africa.

Everyone having a ball on the dance floor

We haven't received the official photos of the wedding yet, but I'll definitely post some when they are ready.

Back in Taiwan

Arriving in Taiwan

I can't say I was especially excited about coming back to Taiwan after vacation in sunny South Africa. I felt like my time at home went by way too fast, and I was enjoying spending it with my family so much that I wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet and return to my life in Taipei.

But here I am, back in the cold and back at work. It is nice to see my co-workers again after Chinese New Year though, and the start of the new semester at work is always exciting. It also feels good to be back in my own apartment with my own things surrounding me.

I took so many photos during my vacation and will definitely post some here soon, I just need to organize them first. Sorry for the lack of vacation updates while I was in South Africa, we were just so busy relaxing, visiting friends, cooking and eating, going to the beach, shopping and preparing for my brother's wedding, I hardly had any time to go online. I will still write about my brother's awesome wedding though, which was perfect in every way.

For now I just need to get over jet lag and I'll talk to you guys again, soon.

Don't forget to enter my Sigma Beauty Travel Kit GIVEAWAY, it closes on March 1st.

Valentine's Day GIFTS 2013

To be honest, I couldn't be bothered with Valentine's Day gifts this year. Being with my family and The Boyfriend in South Africa at home is the best Valentine's Day gift I can think of. Nothing beats being with my loved ones.

But, I know that some of you might be frantically searching for that perfect prezzie for your special person, so I decided to include the links to the HIS and HERS gift ideas I posted on my blog last year. They are definitely still relevant, and I think you might get some good ideas.

Gifts for HER

Gifts for HIM

Are you getting your other half something for Valentine's Day this year, or are you doing something special? Or do you totally ignore the icky love stuff on the 14th? I would love to hear your thoughts. 

HAPPY LOVE DAY!

Home Sweet Home

Currently, I'm sitting back on my dad's lazy boy chair, with my feet up, a laptop in my lap and listening to the birds singing in the tree in my parents' backyard. To be honest, if I was any more relaxed, I wouldn't be breathing. 

Arriving at Cape Town International airport. I had to snap the beautiful Table Mountain as we were coming in for landing.

I arrived in South Africa on Friday morning, after a looong flight from Taiwan via Singapore. Ever since I set foot on South African soil, I've just been spoiled rotten here at home. "Liesl, what would you like to eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner?" and "Here, let me wash your clothes." "Do you want anything to drink?" "Can I draw you a bath?" I can get used to this.

My mom loves gardening and I love spending time in it. 

I love being at my parents' house. This is the house I grew up in and have only good memories of. I haven't been home for 2 years, but nothing has really changed. My mom's garden is bigger though, and as beautiful as ever, and she renovated the guest bathroom, which looks amazing, like in a 5-star hotel. And since the last time I was here, my beloved dog passed away and the other one is also really old now.

Mom's newly renovated bathroom is stunning. I want to spend as much time in there as possible.

My parents live in a small town at the southern tip of Africa, and it's nice how relaxed and slowed down everything is compared with Taipei, where I live. I've been spending my time going to our small town's gym, baking with my mom, working on my tan, reading, taking pictures, playing with the dog, eating and helping my mom with the last minute preparations for my brother's wedding on the 16th.

We baked cupcakes! And ate most of it, too...

I'm enjoying the calm before the storm now, before everyone starts arriving for the wedding. My brother and his fiance will arrive from Dubai tomorrow, and then we'll go to the airport on Sunday to pick up The Boyfriend, flying in from Taiwan, my sister, flying in from Dubai, and my soon-to-be-sister-in-law's parents, flying in from Ukraine. They'll all be staying at my parents' house, so we volunteered to go and stay in a guest house for the week leading up to the wedding.

I'm looking forward to having the rest of my family, and The Boyfriend, arrive in South Africa, and to seeing everyone at the wedding. I still want to meet up with so many of my friends as well.

I'm so relaxed, and happy to be home. Here we were enjoying iced coffees at a restaurant close to the beach.

So that's my little summer vacation update for you, but I have to go now because I smell something fantastic coming from the kitchen. I wonder what feast has been prepared for lunch today...