tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19912400801581722542024-03-18T11:03:04.036+08:00Pretty.Random.Things.I'm Liesl, a 30-year old South African, living and working in Taipei City, Taiwan. This is my little online world where I share all the things I love and feel passionate about. From traveling the world to fashion, beauty and my everyday life in Asia; you'll find it all here. You're welcome to snoop around, I encourage it! ♥Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.comBlogger467125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-88697297761355512272017-06-22T13:33:00.001+08:002017-06-22T13:33:36.789+08:00The Last Post<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I started writing and sharing here on <b><i>Pretty.Random.Things.</i></b> exactly 6 years ago. Can you believe it? So much has happened since that first (very cringe-worthy) post where I <a href="http://www.pretty-random-things.com/2011/06/day-1-picture-of-yourself-with-ten.html" target="_blank">introduced myself</a>; exciting travels around the world, getting engaged, getting married, getting a dog, getting fit, moving houses, navigating life in Taiwan and making that tricky transition from being a carefree twenty-something to a (somewhat) more responsible woman in her thirties. We've come a long way, haven't we?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This will be my last post here. I know! It's the end of an era. Some of you have been on this roller-coaster ride with me since the beginning, and I will forever be thankful for your support and encouragement. I've met some pretty great people through this platform and have made friends from around the globe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I didn't just want to leave you guys high and dry, wondering what in the world happened to me and why I wasn't posting here anymore, so I knew I had to write this post and make it official. (Actually, I was putting off writing this last one, but thought it would be poetic signing off on the blog's 6th "birthday".) But the time has come to move on. On to bigger and better things! ...but I'll tell you about that in a little bit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I now view <b><i>Pretty.Random.Things.</i></b> as the diary of a very exciting period of time in my life. I actually documented some pretty exciting experiences through the years, and would like to be able to revisit those memories from time to time. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That's why I won't be shutting down the site just yet. (At least until I can figure out a way to save all of these posts.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So what's next for me? Well, I've been working on an exciting project with my "style sister", Tieneke. For months now, we've been developing our brand new fashion and lifestyle website, which we are very proud of. We've been working hard creating interesting and helpful articles, covering food, travel, fashion, beauty and lifestyle. I don't want to give away too much though, you will have to come and see for yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Again, thank you for sticking by me for the past 6 years. I will always have fond memories of <b><i>Pretty.Random.Things.</i></b> and everything that went along with it. I wish you all well!</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; text-align: center;">Now what are you waiting for, head on over to our new site, <i><a href="https://www.astylealike.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">A Style Alike</span></a></i>, and sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss our official launch date at the end of June, and our VERY exciting first giveaway...</b></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com56台灣基隆市臺北市25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-11710962107056617322017-01-04T12:06:00.002+08:002017-01-04T12:51:15.756+08:00My 2016 Highlights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here we are, already a few days into 2017. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I should post my annual highlights this year. 2016 was just so miserable to so many people. It's been a devastating year for many with countless terror attacks around the world and the ongoing crisis in Syria. Also, Trump?! Seriously, America?! You could have had Bernie! (Don't even get me started, I'm still not over it..)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After thinking about it, I decided to post my highlights of 2016 anyway, just like I've done for the past few years. I would like to keep this diary to look back on in the future to remind myself that 2016 did have some good times, too. On a personal level, 2016 was a great year and I'd like to sit back and reminisce on the past 12 months and think about my highlights and the things I'm most thankful for. If you're interested, let me take you on my 2016 journey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It freakin' snowed on the mountains around Taipei City in January, which have NEVER happened during my eight years of living in Taiwan. The Husband and I got up super early that one Sunday morning to take the bus up the mountain and beat the crowds. It was truly a magical scene. The mountain, usually a vision of luscious green trees and plants, was covered in a white blanket. People were dressed like they were heading on an Arctic adventure and children were building snowmen and making snow angels on the ground. As a South African whom have only been in snow a couple of times in my life, it really was a very special experience and I'm glad we got to witness this event in Taipei.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For our Chinese New Year break in February, The Husband and I flew to Dubai to visit my brother, sister-in-law and my sister. My mom also flew in from South Africa to spend the week there with us. It was so nice to be there during the winter, as we finally got to (comfortably) do some outdoor activities (usually impossible during the scorching hot summers). I wrote all about our trip, you can <a href="http://www.pretty-random-things.com/2016/03/a-week-in-dubai.html" target="_blank"><b>read it here</b></a>. Visiting the majestic<i> Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque </i>and going on a "desert safari" were big highlights for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Husband and I were bummed out when our landlord informed us that they sold our apartment and that the new owners wanted to live there. Finding a decent yet affordable apartment in Taipei can be a headache, so it took us about 2 months to find one that was just right. We literally only moved a 15 minutes' walk down the road, and it's much closer to a subway station. I still miss our previous place, but we have made the new apartment our home.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">In <i>Taroko Gorge</i> with my dad</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In May my dad came to visit us in Taiwan for three weeks. It was his first visit here, and we had a great time. The Husband and I still had to work, but my dad was such a trooper and navigated the city on his own when we were at work. He quickly learned how to use public transportation and shared his adventures with me every evening after I got home. It was so nice to have him here and show him our life in Asia. He absolutely loved it! Maybe we can make this an annual thing, and hopefully also get my mom over here.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Exploring <i>Taroko Gorge</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">While my dad was here, we went on a little road trip to <i>Taroko Gorge</i>. Out of all the things I wanted to share with my dad, the beautiful gorge was at the top of my list. He's also a huge nature lover, so I knew he'd appreciate it. It was a lovely trip and we enjoyed our stay at the stunning <i>Silk's Place Hotel</i> in the middle of the gorge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Not one, not two, but three of our friends announced their pregnancies to us within a week. Damn, people have been getting busy! All of them gave birth to healthy bundles of joy in 2016 and we couldn't be happier for them. Also, close friends of mine from South Africa announced their engagements and I got to attend my friends' wedding here in Taiwan. Love is in the air, that's for sure!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After working at the same job for six years, I knew that my chapter there was coming to an end. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone there, and I still miss them. That said, I LOVE my new job! My coworkers are wonderful people and we've become really good friends. Also, I can walk to work which is a huge improvement from my previous soul sucking commute.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In the summer, The Husband and I spent a few days in <i>Penghu</i>, one of the small islands off the coast of Taiwan. It was such a nice week and we really enjoyed the beach, sunshine and relaxation. I wrote all about our trip and you can <a href="http://www.pretty-random-things.com/2016/07/5-days-in-penghu.html" target="_blank"><b>read it here</b></a>. A big highlight for me was our scooter trip around the island, it was so much fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This summer The Husband and I spent one week in LA with my brother and his husband. They've been living there now for a couple of years and we finally had some time to go and see them. They bought a beautiful house and we loved staying with them as they treated us like VIP guests and we enjoyed the quality time together. During our time there, The Husband and I did some touristy things around LA, Santa Monica and Malibu and also got to meet up with one of our friends whom happened to be on vacation there at the same time. It was wonderful catching up with her and spending the day together. I loved Malibu and enjoyed our lunch there at the pier (we even spotted celebrities!) and we met up with friends and watched the sunset together at <i>El Matador Beach</i>. We LOVED our time in California and we're already looking forward to our return this summer.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlOUPNbSGQJaO7jxk3vr6OBel2pT9o-p1iKinnBzw-PFX9gmQGuBRAAFMCThiEfw88wyx9BIMaN7g6PVr0Mgn2AtXcp405OBQoiYlwO7LTlLBnE-YUtYYxzx_qR9EciVT128XMwhZiYxL/s1600/north+carolina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="lake north carolina" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlOUPNbSGQJaO7jxk3vr6OBel2pT9o-p1iKinnBzw-PFX9gmQGuBRAAFMCThiEfw88wyx9BIMaN7g6PVr0Mgn2AtXcp405OBQoiYlwO7LTlLBnE-YUtYYxzx_qR9EciVT128XMwhZiYxL/s640/north+carolina.jpg" title="north carolina lake" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>North Carolina, USA</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Before we went to California, we spent two weeks with The Husband's family in North Carolina. I always love going there, as it's absolutely beautiful and his family is so wonderful. We spent a lot of quality time with the fam and especially our nieces and nephews (whom seem to multiply every time we go back for a visit.) During our time there, we also met up with The Husband's friends whom took us out on a boat trip on the lake, which we really enjoyed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Catching Up with An Old Friend</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">While we were in North Carolina, I got to meet up with one of my best friends from South Africa. He moved to the States when we were in university and by that point we haven't seen each other in almost 10 years. I got to meet his lovely wife and we spent a day together catching up and reminiscing about our childhood and crazy uni days. It made me so happy to see him and it was like no time had passed, we just picked up from where we left off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Taiwan Adventures</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRNlV5icmqttviFUIVPeJBaglSvK9VExYBb6ySegxsIuACof5-0nVgUx_sM-jW_ygP2yz_NHRVMW4GAZa2_ZJuOWr2P9jmlx5vCx3sROXOpCJF2jRHRHUqNYboppIk9I9KbcKW4da6hQ0/s1600/maokong+gondola+taipei.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="maokong gondola taiwan" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRNlV5icmqttviFUIVPeJBaglSvK9VExYBb6ySegxsIuACof5-0nVgUx_sM-jW_ygP2yz_NHRVMW4GAZa2_ZJuOWr2P9jmlx5vCx3sROXOpCJF2jRHRHUqNYboppIk9I9KbcKW4da6hQ0/s640/maokong+gondola+taipei.jpg" title="Maokong Gondola " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">On the <i>Maokong Gondola</i> ride over the treetops far below.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Every year I tell myself that I should see more of Taiwan and experience more of the things that this island has to offer. To be honest, I could have done more but did manage to make a few day trips and visit places I've never been. My friend and I finally took the time to go on the <i>Maokong Gondola</i> for a cable car ride up the mountain. The view of Taipei from up there was breathtaking and the ride itself over the treetops was exhilarating. The Husband and I also visited Wulai and stayed at the beautiful <i>Pause Landis Hotel</i> for our 2-year wedding anniversary. On a work outing, we went to </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Jinguashi<i> </i></span>and vi</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">sited the <i>Huang Jin (Golden) Waterfalls</i>. I didn't even know this place existed, and it was interesting learning about its history. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Other than that we made a day trip to Taichung to visit friends and also did a road trip over the mountains to <i>Taroko Gorge</i> and spent some time in Yilan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Table by the Window, please.</b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYw4yA-1BET95IUCql8je1lGWfhNvf4YjQtBimNLMvPJc35P0E_PT7ixGcKXh7dFWEBgkQy2wX1VDjYJZR5tHMA551QrqU_G33JKlYoU0G3Lg9F36Dm5zxQb00ivsRie3y7hc00f9w9wI/s1600/taipei+cafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="taipei cafes" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYw4yA-1BET95IUCql8je1lGWfhNvf4YjQtBimNLMvPJc35P0E_PT7ixGcKXh7dFWEBgkQy2wX1VDjYJZR5tHMA551QrqU_G33JKlYoU0G3Lg9F36Dm5zxQb00ivsRie3y7hc00f9w9wI/s640/taipei+cafe.jpg" title="taipei cafe" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Enjoying sweet treats at a cafe in Taipei.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Being a huge fan of food and drinks in general, it was easy for me to develop the hobby of cafe crawling in Taipei City. I loved trying out new cafes and eateries around the city in 2016, especially because SO many fantastic cafes have opened their doors in the past few years. I have made it my Saturday morning tradition to try out new cafes with friends, and have met so many amazing people in the process. I can tell you, it's tough having lattes at different cafes around the city, but someone's gotta do it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Last Day of 2016</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQl6OCsnWbvLzOANYEJeMtPmak4mPEDGH4vVpVnsR0iy2fNgeP8kQtsRbZlq__-KaPf6w0QkLXrScYRpwV70bSljtbBYWBv5tswgGr4_6oTLA5K9yRSC4quSUiPmhTHTWxo47doDjpLaSM/s1600/Taipei+101+fireworks+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="taipei101 nye fireworks" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQl6OCsnWbvLzOANYEJeMtPmak4mPEDGH4vVpVnsR0iy2fNgeP8kQtsRbZlq__-KaPf6w0QkLXrScYRpwV70bSljtbBYWBv5tswgGr4_6oTLA5K9yRSC4quSUiPmhTHTWxo47doDjpLaSM/s640/Taipei+101+fireworks+2016.jpg" title="taipei101 fireworks 2016" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Taipei101</i> New Year's Eve fireworks </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This year we decided to go all out for New Year's Eve and attended a rooftop party across the street from <i>Taipei101</i>. During my time living in Taiwan, I've never been this close to the famous countdown and fireworks show at the world's second tallest building. It was truly a highlight ringing in the new year with The Husband and our friends up on that rooftop away from the crowds. It was probably one of the best parties I've ever been to in Taipei!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I hope I'm not forgetting anything. 2016 was such a wild ride and hopefully 2017 will be more smooth sailing for our world. I wish you all a wonderful new year!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>HAPPY 2017!</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com29台灣台北市25.0329636 121.5654268000000724.8028691 121.24270330000007 25.2630581 121.88815030000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-59778701085983974212016-07-28T20:43:00.002+08:002018-05-22T10:09:42.259+08:005 Days in Penghu<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGT38I3fouUIUEzBQFS6LOTAGSgZGfKmU262S-tymYlwtVzd_Iw4tImEXzEQlCbtAjhZb8eImL-KfrlFDAySp_AbROrPgaCxaoxiE1kF2gkC-ruw0R1XpiJJhv29LFrX7R-SSQR6sLwOf/s1600/IMG_0344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="penghu tourist map" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGT38I3fouUIUEzBQFS6LOTAGSgZGfKmU262S-tymYlwtVzd_Iw4tImEXzEQlCbtAjhZb8eImL-KfrlFDAySp_AbROrPgaCxaoxiE1kF2gkC-ruw0R1XpiJJhv29LFrX7R-SSQR6sLwOf/s640/IMG_0344.JPG" title="penghu" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This article has been revised and can be <b>READ HERE:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.astylealike.com/single-post/TRAVEL-A-Guide-to-Penghu-Taiwan">https://www.astylealike.com/single-post/TRAVEL-A-Guide-to-Penghu-Taiwan</a></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com30Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-69965852436564229132016-07-25T17:22:00.000+08:002016-07-25T17:22:01.448+08:00Let's Catch Up!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fsZWy4v3Fbdnt8aO3dX3eOGb7Ia8npoZ5WsVaswz4QwBu9dchcoQk-WLVEIk2s2UEWpGqbqGN8M5Cta8g34hcfAVMktfA42nz2rPiAxkkn0RyAXxdIE2CMFJ-JkXDUA_ZSNaK8js9Ym_/s1600/IMG_1334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fsZWy4v3Fbdnt8aO3dX3eOGb7Ia8npoZ5WsVaswz4QwBu9dchcoQk-WLVEIk2s2UEWpGqbqGN8M5Cta8g34hcfAVMktfA42nz2rPiAxkkn0RyAXxdIE2CMFJ-JkXDUA_ZSNaK8js9Ym_/s640/IMG_1334.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm still here! Yes, I'm totally aware of the fact that I haven't blogged since March.. I'll just blame the usuals; work, life, my dog, laziness, Obama.. So there you go. But now Summer time is here, which means school's out and this teacher can have a life again. Now I really don't have any excuse to not sit down at the computer and have a little chat with my cyber homies.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So much has happened since March, and I think a good ol' catch up session is in order, don't you? I'll start with "The Move". Can I just take a second to complain about how much I HATE moving, please? I HATE IT!!! Okay, now it's out of my system. After living in our dream apartment for a little over two years, we unfortunately had to move because our landlord sold the place and the new owners wanted to live there. (I secretly hate them.. Just kidding... it's not a secret.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Finding that perfect apartment, that you absolutely love, in Taipei is like finding a unicorn. But after searching for a few weeks, we did find one that we really liked. Not exactly "the unicorn", but more like one of those cute small horses with the long hair. We are basically in the same neighborhood, the place is nice and modern, and we are much closer to the subway. I'll take it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In May, my dad came to visit us in Taiwan for three weeks. My mom couldn't join this time as someone had to take care of the fur children at home in South Africa. It was his first time in Taiwan, and Asia, and we had a fantastic time. It's been a while since I've seen my dad, and we got to catch up and spend a lot of quality time together. He loved Taipei and bravely navigated and explored the city by himself on most days (we still had to work). We also had a little road trip together to <i>Taroko Gorge</i>, one of the most beautiful parts of Taiwan, in my opinion. His visit here has probably been one of the highlights of my year so far.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Probably the biggest news is that I quit my job. You know that feeling when you just absolutely NEED a change? Well, after six years of teaching at the same school, I reached that point and decided to go for an interview at another job. It wasn't an easy decision, because I truly loved my job and everyone there. But I had to do it for myself. I'm happy to say that I got it, and start this new chapter at the end of August. I'm beyond excited for the new challenge and scenery. Also, my commute will now be 10 minutes, instead of 50 minutes. *high fives all around!*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm probably forgetting a bunch of things, but these are the "standouts" that just popped into my head. Oh, and before I forget, The Husband and I had a little island getaway a couple of weeks ago. We went to <i>Penghu</i>, a small island off the coast of Taiwan, for some R&R. I'm going to write a separate post all about that trip, because I've gotten so many questions about it and I think it's a good idea to share my tips and experiences. Don't worry, you don't have to wait another four months for it.. You can expect that post some time this week, I promise!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I hope you are all doing well and having a nice Summer? Or a somewhat bearable Winter if you're down under. Let's keep in touch, follow me on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, where I post most often. Goodbye!</span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com5Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-58851933702357975942016-03-03T13:18:00.001+08:002016-03-03T13:18:44.536+08:00A Week in Dubai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you've been reading my blog for a while you're probably thinking, "</span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dubai, again? Really?</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">" Yep, that's right! The Husband and I recently went to Dubai AGAIN, which marked my fifth visit there. I don't have some crazy obsession with the place, don't worry, it's just that two of my siblings happen to live there.. (and I definitely don't mind the fantastic shopping...). Also, it works well as a hub for my family to get together, as my parents live in South Africa, my oldest brother in the States and The Husband and I are all the way on the </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">East side in Taiwan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Over Chinese New Year break, we made our escape from the miserable weather in Taiwan and headed west for some sun, family time and relaxation in the desert. The weather, by the way, was fantastic! Over the past few years, I've visited Dubai during the summer, which I probably don't have to describe to you? Hello, this is the desert. This time, we could actually do activities outside without turning into human jerky. I highly recommend visiting the UAE in the winter months, your options of activities are much more vast than in the scorching summer months.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My mom also flew in from South Africa to spend the week with us. FOMO? (Just kidding, Mamma!). It was lovely having her there, too! Unfortunately my dad couldn't make it, as he had to work and was also in charge of taking care of the fur children at home.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dw0oRWNhC2Z7bY5M0HVT_TJkOFeNxX7qGv7IflN2LCmpkjUM11h1wrSBRDxNLqqwiM3RpwBZAwOniCSC-kEdnaPBb3fSygnGRJppb1EVgjGya6nvPz7Z-_mxT-ZH3Q8_2Fxfev-7ZNle/s1600/1168412_1761629484066388_2129414439_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Burj Khalifa Emirates" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dw0oRWNhC2Z7bY5M0HVT_TJkOFeNxX7qGv7IflN2LCmpkjUM11h1wrSBRDxNLqqwiM3RpwBZAwOniCSC-kEdnaPBb3fSygnGRJppb1EVgjGya6nvPz7Z-_mxT-ZH3Q8_2Fxfev-7ZNle/s640/1168412_1761629484066388_2129414439_n.jpg" title="Burj Khalifa" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I was lucky to get this shot of an <i>Emirates</i> airplane flying over the <i>Burj Khalifa</i>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We weren't even in Dubai for 12 hours before the mother ship called me home; <i>The Dubai Mall</i>. One of the largest shopping malls in the world, and one of my favorites for a proper shopping spree. And it's not just the shopping; <i>The Dubai Mall</i> is right next to the <i>Burj Khalifa</i> and <i>The Fountains</i>, so that means lots of <i><a href="http://instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></i> opportunities and incredible scenes to admire. We also stumbled onto the <i>Wanderland</i> Exhibition by <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">Hermès</span>, which was incredible as we got to see 30000 items, including pieces from the Emile <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">Hermès </span>private museum.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzi6gjjsrlXbiOPT5tjraBz3-qRBc1zE-CZf_amv7yF21LoJo2tI2RNBcswL5XkxTKvNQM1sFTH5LkKs2AIAleR_uaVoXWCp5RIv19YD5kKqH_IoAcAj2Xrd82eS6NsUSGDs9b6HIKO4c/s1600/12716727_1552742635039285_1258296784_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="umbrellas ceiling" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzi6gjjsrlXbiOPT5tjraBz3-qRBc1zE-CZf_amv7yF21LoJo2tI2RNBcswL5XkxTKvNQM1sFTH5LkKs2AIAleR_uaVoXWCp5RIv19YD5kKqH_IoAcAj2Xrd82eS6NsUSGDs9b6HIKO4c/s640/12716727_1552742635039285_1258296784_n.jpg" title="Umbrellas The Dubai Mall" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A sky of umbrellas decorated the ceiling at <i>The Dubai Mall</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I loved all the quality time I got to spend with my family. We don't get to see each other that often, so when we do, we make it count. We were basically laughing, eating and drinking 24/7. I truly treasure my time with these silly folk I call my family.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIiWsMcuZxCTMWCeVVzihVteI7D4Rr3n9rlC7r5cgwWiC3qdsjOFpBoW0rKeGqYCCfFfWZxcANunoia5WLKgjNdv9sRCb9h-9b4c7qB6mLfah05B46IuRkd9uyfp5qyo7gbvBSfze66O_/s1600/12558938_834232100055353_1780473117_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cheesecake Factory drinks" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIiWsMcuZxCTMWCeVVzihVteI7D4Rr3n9rlC7r5cgwWiC3qdsjOFpBoW0rKeGqYCCfFfWZxcANunoia5WLKgjNdv9sRCb9h-9b4c7qB6mLfah05B46IuRkd9uyfp5qyo7gbvBSfze66O_/s640/12558938_834232100055353_1780473117_n.jpg" title="Lunch at The Cheesecake Factory" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Having lunch, and good times, with the family</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This time around, I was set on going out into the desert. I haven't been yet, because in the summer months it's just too damn hot. So I was delighted when my sister's friend offered to take us on a desert safari in his <i>Hummer</i>. We went dune bashing in the desert outside Abu Dhabi right before sunset, and it was both terrifying and exhilarating! Although people often spot wild camels in the desert, we weren't so lucky. We did see a few in a gated area, but I couldn't pet them. Entire vacation ruined! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After driving over dunes and holding on for dear life, we stopped and had a champagne picnic, overlooking the sunset on the horizon. It was magical, and I highly recommend doing this when you're in the UAE.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijizd7l2JMtO6bfrq7DHs2q894vLpXSPX6D0BGJHOgmYOlPZgzh_gOqLpdTBbd-cmehVX_kEMULcMZd3KmnIGbQfVO0rYhyxrdbzrj-Nx8fsD-ZmTaGsWAJhBzhSzSwqcFRvJSEtaIEYdG/s1600/12534392_1819306081630175_1622345140_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Desert Safari Abu Dhabi" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijizd7l2JMtO6bfrq7DHs2q894vLpXSPX6D0BGJHOgmYOlPZgzh_gOqLpdTBbd-cmehVX_kEMULcMZd3KmnIGbQfVO0rYhyxrdbzrj-Nx8fsD-ZmTaGsWAJhBzhSzSwqcFRvJSEtaIEYdG/s640/12534392_1819306081630175_1622345140_n.jpg" title="Abu Dhabi desert" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In the desert outside Abu Dhabi</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsaLh9_aM3dvc7uKVZl5zRd_TvmqtgKMiliN9MoIuSHEy-JyWk3gutOR1jlhyphenhyphendgYlnIY0i_zcHOqovEQQAwIUwX8CKeGsSsCNpfUcWo-TyBkQBJljjlaz7GMXKu3KJAUjkwlRgRy66oSko/s1600/12568182_696537967149638_1188524678_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="dune bashing abu dhabi" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsaLh9_aM3dvc7uKVZl5zRd_TvmqtgKMiliN9MoIuSHEy-JyWk3gutOR1jlhyphenhyphendgYlnIY0i_zcHOqovEQQAwIUwX8CKeGsSsCNpfUcWo-TyBkQBJljjlaz7GMXKu3KJAUjkwlRgRy66oSko/s640/12568182_696537967149638_1188524678_n.jpg" title="Abu Dhabi desert" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Desert for days</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was my first time visiting Abu Dhabi (about an hour's drive from Dubai) and I just HAD TO go see the world famous <i>Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque</i>. I didn't know how "grand" it was until I got to see it with my own eyes. It's mandatory for all females to wear an abaya to cover your shoulders, legs and head. (By the way, entrance to the mosque is free, as so is the abaya rental.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The mosque took my breath away! The bright white walls, the detailed tiles and gold trimmings, contrasted with the bright blue sky, was magical. I probably took a thousand photos, and really, the photos can't do it any justice. We spent hours there, admiring the details and grandeur of the structure. We even got to go inside! The interiors reminded me so much of the <i>Blue Mosque</i> in Istanbul, although luckily the carpet didn't smell like the one in the <i>Blue Mosque</i> did... By the way, the carpet in the main prayer hall is insane; it's the biggest hand-knotted carpet in the world and measures 5627<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px;">m</span><sup style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 1;">2</sup> (60570 square feet). It is absolutely beautiful! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDl2ytCGB8QtJNCVfDBVu0JP3ZiJjqEjabSPMnfshKGu6dWVCaCaXzryjaTVEuaza42tv_vPB9sNrk3t3MdKC89qx3mmBL3w2gkoLHNV6x1ZH5xHHXVpgkehNBP9gqAOEJNg8AA01QlId/s1600/308570_10153196077736548_5276114971727747460_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDl2ytCGB8QtJNCVfDBVu0JP3ZiJjqEjabSPMnfshKGu6dWVCaCaXzryjaTVEuaza42tv_vPB9sNrk3t3MdKC89qx3mmBL3w2gkoLHNV6x1ZH5xHHXVpgkehNBP9gqAOEJNg8AA01QlId/s640/308570_10153196077736548_5276114971727747460_n.jpg" width="638" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque</i> exterior</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQFf1qpr38R7iWclB4VzSxtAoCqYca55j25WdexeIRZWCNdGY8a7WbUDP8hWt-Qsp6Q8PLlzb_wzr5ijo0f_0jkQZu8GZTBFEJecTG5AuuFmkzDr-QVLUVkPW9XhfRnBpu4NGm6tjlaFv/s1600/12558905_242454642766805_1439391059_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque columns" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQFf1qpr38R7iWclB4VzSxtAoCqYca55j25WdexeIRZWCNdGY8a7WbUDP8hWt-Qsp6Q8PLlzb_wzr5ijo0f_0jkQZu8GZTBFEJecTG5AuuFmkzDr-QVLUVkPW9XhfRnBpu4NGm6tjlaFv/s640/12558905_242454642766805_1439391059_n.jpg" title="Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Beautiful decor and details of the <i>Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9te5QKJGahKo-NVnvd7xnDcR3_nZzIbTxYAB1v3dbr3u8jQKkhMX7UftDkoNv87vWzNheR4wSO3ZokfurOLG-S9vZLlQD5W7dnrNIlWnkbTcjx8fQRPXjmAHctC7Uy-IORYj9KEc5GV7/s1600/12729556_1036324973075917_1436404025_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9te5QKJGahKo-NVnvd7xnDcR3_nZzIbTxYAB1v3dbr3u8jQKkhMX7UftDkoNv87vWzNheR4wSO3ZokfurOLG-S9vZLlQD5W7dnrNIlWnkbTcjx8fQRPXjmAHctC7Uy-IORYj9KEc5GV7/s640/12729556_1036324973075917_1436404025_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The majestic interior of the <i>Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another place I got to visit this time around was the <i>Dubai Marina</i>. I've heard my siblings mention it many times, and thought that it was just a residential area. I was surprised when we got there to see that it was actually a very impressive area with a beautiful beach, lots of 5 stars hotels, restaurants and a walkway. We walked along the beach and soaked up some sunshine. We explored more of the area and had delicious seafood there.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGuLkPIwDiCnilyhqZvLGWPjlS5QT_wNihjO2IfcGl3WI6VBZq2Oso6_eunLEfpmqyTDcc41iNHQrepsYwd_1vWFw3i-mLrMk1HMEYk_H_Ry7ECOiKhuvNhvyPeS0Hhx7juphBGVn4SB7/s1600/10723702_349818215142541_1282819503_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGuLkPIwDiCnilyhqZvLGWPjlS5QT_wNihjO2IfcGl3WI6VBZq2Oso6_eunLEfpmqyTDcc41iNHQrepsYwd_1vWFw3i-mLrMk1HMEYk_H_Ry7ECOiKhuvNhvyPeS0Hhx7juphBGVn4SB7/s640/10723702_349818215142541_1282819503_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The <i>Dubai Marina</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdE8pne5CyC7kYf7jkg6RmzizF6IAvWdowD3NZvTK_K9qD_t_XtgQUCYxWz_G2I7EvpJvaKQ-BLFvBZ3xsUie57-xcIyPIMoq0T272KI6p0FEgQg29MIMaZNfJY8sSAaHjljvCFb3tGtro/s1600/12628132_227549880914463_1267600590_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dubai beach" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdE8pne5CyC7kYf7jkg6RmzizF6IAvWdowD3NZvTK_K9qD_t_XtgQUCYxWz_G2I7EvpJvaKQ-BLFvBZ3xsUie57-xcIyPIMoq0T272KI6p0FEgQg29MIMaZNfJY8sSAaHjljvCFb3tGtro/s640/12628132_227549880914463_1267600590_n.jpg" title="Dubai beach" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Soaking up the sun in Dubai</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The day before we flew back to Taiwan, we went to <i>The Westin</i> for their famous Friday Bubbalicious brunch. Now, this is not your regular run-of-the-mill Eggs Benedict and mimosas brunch. This is an EVENT that locals and tourist can't get enough of! It's on the pricey side, but the hotel offers a spread that you can't even imagine, and the alcohol is included in the price, too. (I couldn't help but think of all of my friends whom would have LOVED this experience!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The hotel opens all of its restaurants, and guests can sit outside under the palm trees in the sun. Each table has a server who makes sure your champagne glass is filled to the brim at all times. The buffet selections were overwhelming, to say the least. Delicious Chinese, Thai and Indian dishes, a sushi bar, an outrageous seafood spread, cheese, cheese and more cheese, Mexican and Mediterranean food, chocolate fountains and and and... We literally ate and drank for 4 hours straight. Needless to say, we were all five kilograms heavier and not sober when we rolled out of there in the late afternoon. Another awesome experience that I'd love to do again!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggp2-W4d7G8TDYy7313Q6d93WxrUUVJU7Qd1JZ6IChB87w2lQh_U4mCYoK1U6lGNFeX0jIKeJqxfd3Vz3_rhWd8gmXVb0bBeL4nWOta9L6p77HkzfMRBSnYCTsS5ZWy4aXJO912lf0s6mf/s1600/12745920_10153202630496548_1672389094478920151_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="sushi dubai" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggp2-W4d7G8TDYy7313Q6d93WxrUUVJU7Qd1JZ6IChB87w2lQh_U4mCYoK1U6lGNFeX0jIKeJqxfd3Vz3_rhWd8gmXVb0bBeL4nWOta9L6p77HkzfMRBSnYCTsS5ZWy4aXJO912lf0s6mf/s640/12745920_10153202630496548_1672389094478920151_n.jpg" title="sushi bar" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sushi madness</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXXtDIijB5VWkFKbIfdr1icySu6Kn_SJN0cH2ypZ7WZo8MnLskttX3UDCYveZTM6vipA6nRtBbltZ4NEglZr1NaTGGR_YvsxtLuEDWY0Vipp3wnGOfaR3_ec4X2uPob3WXvabQMhyPdyU/s1600/12717291_10153202630631548_4795501134258752079_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="seafood buffet" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXXtDIijB5VWkFKbIfdr1icySu6Kn_SJN0cH2ypZ7WZo8MnLskttX3UDCYveZTM6vipA6nRtBbltZ4NEglZr1NaTGGR_YvsxtLuEDWY0Vipp3wnGOfaR3_ec4X2uPob3WXvabQMhyPdyU/s640/12717291_10153202630631548_4795501134258752079_n.jpg" title="seafood dubai" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Fresh seafood</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Although we only spent a week there, we did so much that I felt we were there for a month. I don't think I'll ever get sick of visiting the fam in Dubai, we have a blast every time. And there's still things that I'd love to do... Next time, I want to go for afternoon tea at the <i>Burj Al Arab</i>, and I'm still obsessed with the idea of taking a hot air balloon ride over the desert. Also, I still haven't been to all of the souks. And last, but not least, I want to pet a camel, dammit. So badly!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hNpuEEIo3FJZ0jur_SIOJI7YeWFAjST1BFGjapaVSAab2FF33hsyXmXFxoF5uQ74dnKxK4-BFBcocwxUT5Ay5WLJQ7q9aVbsxcqrmQGzVyqqQW1WY3foL_hyD2cXoWeQzF6OhUuLK6d9/s1600/12716944_556724154487888_1147465759_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dubai winter" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hNpuEEIo3FJZ0jur_SIOJI7YeWFAjST1BFGjapaVSAab2FF33hsyXmXFxoF5uQ74dnKxK4-BFBcocwxUT5Ay5WLJQ7q9aVbsxcqrmQGzVyqqQW1WY3foL_hyD2cXoWeQzF6OhUuLK6d9/s640/12716944_556724154487888_1147465759_n.jpg" title="Dubai palm trees" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Winter in Dubai</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>You can read the ramblings of my previous trip to Dubai <a href="http://www.pretty-random-things.com/2014/08/my-dubai-diary.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com20Taipei, Taipei City, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.8028434 121.24269420000002 25.263095399999997 121.8881412tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-12752602665759354662016-02-03T17:27:00.002+08:002016-02-03T17:27:46.884+08:00FRANCO FLORENZI Watch Review: Effortlessly Elegant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IjMxyVtH-DCjTjkByKwLjX7Z85FK0uAVrLh3UB6FTr0fYbtC3ZljSBTHDi7WuRIF5dQyUKVVGz5rFU8egjGoA_YpudU7JT62XFySjTzCOOYDTvQS8Gqq7dx45ogMPDsr57zwjG3GfhpU/s1600/IMG_5931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="franco florenzi watch review" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IjMxyVtH-DCjTjkByKwLjX7Z85FK0uAVrLh3UB6FTr0fYbtC3ZljSBTHDi7WuRIF5dQyUKVVGz5rFU8egjGoA_YpudU7JT62XFySjTzCOOYDTvQS8Gqq7dx45ogMPDsr57zwjG3GfhpU/s640/IMG_5931.JPG" title="franco florenzi messina costa watch" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Franco Florenzi</b><i> <a href="http://www.francoflorenzi.com/messina-costa/" target="_blank">Messina Costa</a> </i></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">watch</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Quality. Classic. Elegant. These are the three words that came to mind when I first received these beautiful watches from </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Franco Florenzi</b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">; EXACTLY my type of accessories! Effortless, stylish timepieces that will stand the test of time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I wasn't familiar with <b>Franco Florenzi</b> when they first reached out to me for a collaboration opportunity, but quickly realized after checking out their lust-worthy <a href="https://www.instagram.com/francoflorenzi/" target="_blank"><i>Instagram</i> account</a>, that they have a huge following and devoted fans of their stunning timepieces and bracelets. I totally get it; people love quality and simplicity at a reasonable price. And that's exactly what they offer!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I thought I'd share with you some pics of the watches, so you can admire their beauty. You can also check out the entire collection <b><a href="http://www.francoflorenzi.com/" target="_blank">here</a></b>. One of my favorites is this one, called the <i><a href="http://www.francoflorenzi.com/vicenza-buffon/" target="_blank">Vicenza Buffon</a></i>. Can you ever go wrong with a classic white dial with a black nylon/leather strap? As far as I'm concerned, it's a must have in everyone's collection! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72AjnYBv4ePihc1QiEogH9NkzhR5_qUM5SstO5amU2pw7dGq1E7gJCEXqgeCBS97JrGeDAe2g9zmUeCzrvoG250-jPWej6gF8PFps2zWR7pTNqMsU_G0i-TAfuoZ8D1ZRbD9Jk-4bgMdG/s1600/IMG_5929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="franco florenzi watch review" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72AjnYBv4ePihc1QiEogH9NkzhR5_qUM5SstO5amU2pw7dGq1E7gJCEXqgeCBS97JrGeDAe2g9zmUeCzrvoG250-jPWej6gF8PFps2zWR7pTNqMsU_G0i-TAfuoZ8D1ZRbD9Jk-4bgMdG/s640/IMG_5929.JPG" title="franco florenzi vicenza buffon watch" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Franco Florenzi</b><i> <a href="http://www.francoflorenzi.com/vicenza-buffon/" target="_blank">Vicenza Buffon</a></i> watch</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm also a huge fan of these <i>Messina </i>watches, with the interchangeable nylon straps, in a variety of different colors. You can literally change the strap every day to match your outfit. The dial comes in black or white, and you can also choose silver or rose gold casing. Here I'm wearing the <i><a href="http://www.francoflorenzi.com/messina-lazarro/" target="_blank">Messina Lazarro</a></i>, another favorite because of its nautical look.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWZGIBOF2y5M5FSu7GGYXu3RLh325Po2tXsy9CTQ31C3ls8D2fooP0Yl5jUCwILgDkeiAUmNrjDol4NOrLUOkaXZVGEQWMmcMxT7RIUn98XAsQGgLpQZQYxS_lH71UabS2_8vFW4c136u/s1600/IMG_5930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="franco florenzi watch review" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWZGIBOF2y5M5FSu7GGYXu3RLh325Po2tXsy9CTQ31C3ls8D2fooP0Yl5jUCwILgDkeiAUmNrjDol4NOrLUOkaXZVGEQWMmcMxT7RIUn98XAsQGgLpQZQYxS_lH71UabS2_8vFW4c136u/s640/IMG_5930.JPG" title="franco florenzi messina lazarro watch" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Franco Florenzi</b><i> <a href="http://www.francoflorenzi.com/messina-lazarro/" target="_blank">Messina Lazarro</a></i> watch with interchangeable straps</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you're in the market for a new watch, one that will last you for years to come, I highly recommend this collection from <b>Franco Florenzi</b>. The quality really is fantastic! And I'm sure you'll be able to find a color, or color combination, that tickles your fancy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Franco Florenzi</b> is based out of England, but offers worldwide shipping. Go check out their effortlessly elegant collection of watches <b><a href="http://www.francoflorenzi.com/" target="_blank">here</a></b>, and be sure to follow them on <i><a href="https://www.instagram.com/francoflorenzi/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, </i>where I also contribute pics regularly!</span></div>
Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com18Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-5344378967895429752016-01-11T15:01:00.000+08:002018-06-19T15:55:09.788+08:00Celebrate Moments of Joy with Flowers and Cakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVQoLyCKbYBDCs-wFvs6JqS04zw23yHb5mDWemjQMBY3BgzILQou8Ex563CqBs48Hvz3Rqwe7u7XlaRqrH8hee41YED3wmYaMVzootfrm0uSH5wnJ1QgAPcBD3bGg_0uTPe1Zs8hWIw21/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img alt="flower-delivery-dubai" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVQoLyCKbYBDCs-wFvs6JqS04zw23yHb5mDWemjQMBY3BgzILQou8Ex563CqBs48Hvz3Rqwe7u7XlaRqrH8hee41YED3wmYaMVzootfrm0uSH5wnJ1QgAPcBD3bGg_0uTPe1Zs8hWIw21/s640/FullSizeRender+%25284%2529.jpg" title="flowers" width="636" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Flowers are perfect mood changers and they bring both joy and inspiration to your loved ones. <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Flowers are associated with celebrations and festivity. It has been easier to get flowers for all of these occasions because of online flower delivery. </span>And for time immemorial, flowers are considered to be ideal gifts for several occasions. An array of fresh blooms is sure to bring a hard-to-beat smile on your beloved’s face. You can get an extensive collection of floral arrangements such as bunches and bouquets of roses, lilies, sunflowers and orchids which is sure to make her heart skip a beat.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Flowers are not just beautiful but they are divine too. If you are scrambling hard at the last minute, it is best to go with combo of flowers and cakes which makes great gifts for almost every celebration. If you are planning to surprise someone on their birthday, go for moist and succulent cakes which are baked using the premium quality of ingredients. The cakes are baked with utmost perfection which will ensure that the sweetness of the occasion is maintained. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">People have used these as a means of communication and they have also assigned symbolic meanings to various flowers. Since they are language of emotions and feelings, they are best suited for occasions like Birthdays where you can complement it with flowers and give it as the perfect gift for the occasion. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There was a time when cakes were traditionally baked at home but with the gradual passage of time, people find it hard to take out time amidst their hectic schedule and for all such occasions it are best to go for online flowers and cake delivery in Dubai. You will never be limited with choices when it comes to choosing a perfect flavour for your loved ones, you can choose from vanilla, butterscotch, blueberry, chocolate and other delectable flavours too. Cake delivery in Dubai can be done the same day too with its express delivery options which allows you send freshly baked cakes at their doorstep.</span></span></div>
Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com74Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-34662203746501536422015-12-31T12:33:00.000+08:002015-12-31T12:33:22.909+08:00My 2015 Highlights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMGIhyphenhyphenrwQEQzjMVA6AyFvZ1JdGTpLiV6OZuPdV2kXv-TyCNtUZb4GZJj0cttKtvcw-zuXjgt-T-mAPronqrCBbRRSfaI_zYDWZxQX8xv95rrvTckpRGqAT86Cv5tRn40i7f93OvC-8eph/s1600/2015+highlights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="nifty250-prints" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMGIhyphenhyphenrwQEQzjMVA6AyFvZ1JdGTpLiV6OZuPdV2kXv-TyCNtUZb4GZJj0cttKtvcw-zuXjgt-T-mAPronqrCBbRRSfaI_zYDWZxQX8xv95rrvTckpRGqAT86Cv5tRn40i7f93OvC-8eph/s640/2015+highlights.jpg" title="Bali polaroids" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Au Revoir, 2015! What a year it was, and man, did it whiz past us! (...or does it just feel that way for me because I'm getting older?) Excuse me for being a little sensitive, I celebrated a big birthday this year...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For the past couple of years, I've taken the time to look back at my highlights of each year. This year, for sure, did not disappoint. To refresh my memory, I looked through my Facebook and <a href="http://instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> photos and I was overwhelmed by all the fantastic things I experienced. I'd love to share some of the high points of my year with you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Our first wedding anniversary</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On February 1st, The Husband and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary. And although we are now nearing our second anniversary already, I still feel like a newlywed, and I'm really not sure if the honeymoon phase will ever fizzle out. I just love this man more and more every single day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This year, I also decided to change my last name, which was exciting, but also a pain in the butt when it came to paperwork. Still, I get a major kick out of being called Mrs. Ray.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28nj2IxnuU9ARYV5r0Pb1IOfMCxFlS_nlUiFwY2w90efDEk047UD0ca-uVrFj6XwORkKy_-EZYMHWgdjt7wjbEXylIASs9USXZsJlHn0tvXGynCSRPpG3l64QPZrQ7cLwbAidPvoLmRf7/s1600/wedding+anniversary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="wedding-south africa" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28nj2IxnuU9ARYV5r0Pb1IOfMCxFlS_nlUiFwY2w90efDEk047UD0ca-uVrFj6XwORkKy_-EZYMHWgdjt7wjbEXylIASs9USXZsJlHn0tvXGynCSRPpG3l64QPZrQ7cLwbAidPvoLmRf7/s640/wedding+anniversary.jpg" title="Wedding Anniversary" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our wedding day, February 1st 2014</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Honeymoon in Bali</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A year after our wedding, we finally went on our honeymoon. We chose Bali, which turned out to be absolutely stunning, and a place I still find myself daydreaming about. I blogged in detail about our trip, and you can <a href="http://www.pretty-random-things.com/2015/03/a-week-in-beautiful-bali.html" target="_blank">read that post here</a>. I'd love to go back one day, and see even more of this paradise.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUo5FQSiMKO6lxral4GTmb5lc7vOoutXi3SI6hzJdIV6p7L0ITPCPOwDXWXGcG43ppzzeUimIfAQfUpKtLWNzcyod22mkPkURx6Edw4QfAK_4HuYnNCkGdland_Z3-aeh5U-ZogvuQfVn8/s1600/bali+vacation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bali-travel-waterfall" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUo5FQSiMKO6lxral4GTmb5lc7vOoutXi3SI6hzJdIV6p7L0ITPCPOwDXWXGcG43ppzzeUimIfAQfUpKtLWNzcyod22mkPkURx6Edw4QfAK_4HuYnNCkGdland_Z3-aeh5U-ZogvuQfVn8/s640/bali+vacation.jpg" title="Bali waterfall" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Chasing waterfalls in Bali</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Healthy family</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If there's one thing that really frightens me, it's when a loved one isn't healthy. 2015 was a great year for my family, and I can't even explain to you how thankful I am that every single member of my family is now 100% healthy, and living their best life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I filled up my passport</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I started traveling in 2008, and managed to fill up my passport with stamps from my travels to almost 30 countries. (Of course, being South African, I also had plenty of visas occupying quite a few pages). This year I got a new passport, and I can't wait to fill this one up as well.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgec7eMbzOJC8j_zy9L0tftnO0Ar-RT725TVlWDGBU9GlthkSloV2bMPxxV1JeK7jam-THBdGVBItENULhPRf03QA7Emxz3za_Dmq2r9khEFbVCd-3QCTmQnyYxvZOB_v8tA_67o3iUplPo/s1600/filled+up+passport.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="travel-passport-stamps" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgec7eMbzOJC8j_zy9L0tftnO0Ar-RT725TVlWDGBU9GlthkSloV2bMPxxV1JeK7jam-THBdGVBItENULhPRf03QA7Emxz3za_Dmq2r9khEFbVCd-3QCTmQnyYxvZOB_v8tA_67o3iUplPo/s640/filled+up+passport.jpg" title="Passports" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Another adventure awaits</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Seeing more of Taiwan</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've lived in Taiwan now for a long time, and this year I really wanted to see more of the island. Even though there are still so many places I want to visit, I still managed to get around this year. The Husband and I went on a hike in an area called Wulai. It was so refreshing to get out of the city and be in nature. It was stunning! I also made a daytrip to Hsinchu, the city where I used to live when I first came to Taiwan, and got to spend some time with old friends. We also took the High Speed Train down to Kaohsiung, a city in the south of Taiwan, for a weekend and to attend a good friend's wedding. (Another highlight!) Other than that, I really enjoyed our hike up <i>Elephant Mountain</i> to watch the stunning sunset over Taipei City.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrmz1iX7pLdlt6oCRSvU8dJ5Jxw1-wWywiPHuJi5K3PxBXriMF5mRdZ8Og_Opq0v2aokDoF3lVXoPyfUUR1NAwcdNCVFNS0F80iH9Qhyphenhyphen_OXlZIl_Ib_LprwXbDwJ8MCGiM9d_dgx_WCKp/s1600/taipei-sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="elephantmountain-taipei" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrmz1iX7pLdlt6oCRSvU8dJ5Jxw1-wWywiPHuJi5K3PxBXriMF5mRdZ8Og_Opq0v2aokDoF3lVXoPyfUUR1NAwcdNCVFNS0F80iH9Qhyphenhyphen_OXlZIl_Ib_LprwXbDwJ8MCGiM9d_dgx_WCKp/s640/taipei-sunset.jpg" title="Taipei sunset" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sunset over Taipei (Taken from <i>Elephant Mountain</i>)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>ELLE Magazine</i> feature</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Posting travel, fashion, food and style pictures on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> has become one of my favorite hobbies, and I was over the moon when <b>ELLE Magazine South Africa</b> contacted me about featuring me on their website as their "INSTA Crush". What an honor, and such an exciting experience. You can find the link to my interview and feature <a href="http://www.pretty-random-things.com/2015/09/elle-magazine-south-africa-instacrush.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYm-4jE4_J-8OBOIdsQ6KiL2aG9viIogOycoa3OTmftoLkHQDG2T5TmYgYAJ-AShHQeUIH8SFzIO986W7YXGLFVj_XoIfBHBmfzUgnv6Hi_Y4eqJv5SVZ_SKjGGboplQ1aykqQuYD4D-Y8/s1600/elle-magazine-feature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="instacrush-elle" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYm-4jE4_J-8OBOIdsQ6KiL2aG9viIogOycoa3OTmftoLkHQDG2T5TmYgYAJ-AShHQeUIH8SFzIO986W7YXGLFVj_XoIfBHBmfzUgnv6Hi_Y4eqJv5SVZ_SKjGGboplQ1aykqQuYD4D-Y8/s640/elle-magazine-feature.jpg" title="ELLE Magazine feature" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Featured on <i>ELLE Magazine South Africa</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>A big birthday</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This year I celebrated 30 years of life on this beautiful Earth. So far, I really don't feel any different than 29. Reaching this milestone birthday has definitely made me think about my life so far, what I've achieved and what I still want to achieve in the future. The first 30 years of my life have been incredible, and I can't wait to see what happens next.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Friends and family visits to Taiwan</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just like last year my brother, sister and friend (whom are all flight attendants for <i>Emirates</i>) have all been able to visit us here in Taipei multiple times. Their layovers fly by (awesome pun intended), but we make the most of it by spending quality time together, laughing, eating and catching up on each other's lives. I love their visits, and look forward to it so much! May there be many more in 2016.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmu5c9ErMDbnHvwSoCTa8y2zDEXnDFRVkiP23Hh1pJh8mSGRu4kvMNj1ZS86EVbVkKfrVlCwtl_SR_WWLuTuZsLob6A5eDHPq8zlx8kEMQfB_0hzneku2vMBX65YfAlGsLhFROsqq525V/s1600/family+visits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="cafe-taipei" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmu5c9ErMDbnHvwSoCTa8y2zDEXnDFRVkiP23Hh1pJh8mSGRu4kvMNj1ZS86EVbVkKfrVlCwtl_SR_WWLuTuZsLob6A5eDHPq8zlx8kEMQfB_0hzneku2vMBX65YfAlGsLhFROsqq525V/s640/family+visits.jpg" title="KIOSK Taipei" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Catching up with my The Sister</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Scandinavia and Russia cruise</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After cruising the Mediterranean 3 years ago, The Husband and I have been itching to go on a cruise again. Together with two of our very good friends, we decided to go on a 2-week cruise of Scandinavia and Russia. It was an unforgettable experience! Once again, cruising with <i>Princess Cruises</i> was fantastic, and I still can't believe all the places that we got to see. During our cruise, we got to visit Denmark, Norway, Germany, Estonia, Russia, Finland and Sweden. Each of these countries blew me away, and I'm so grateful that we were able to have this experience. You can read all about our cruise <a href="http://www.pretty-random-things.com/2015/09/a-european-summer.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7e57PT5-yAdPBsWQBE2A6Hb97lDrT3ji8ivOKLXO2b4iKxTWUDi7rpvIFHm1hePjbnLE6fbTNQha18jh1YWgC61aO6zgkv6wMKm9XatwdVNg6I1DGVwsfUEV_9Yki4M_88r6yzPIkAiC/s1600/scandinavia-cruise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="cruise-europe" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7e57PT5-yAdPBsWQBE2A6Hb97lDrT3ji8ivOKLXO2b4iKxTWUDi7rpvIFHm1hePjbnLE6fbTNQha18jh1YWgC61aO6zgkv6wMKm9XatwdVNg6I1DGVwsfUEV_9Yki4M_88r6yzPIkAiC/s640/scandinavia-cruise.jpg" title="Princess Cruises" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sailing out of Copenhagen</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Four days in Amsterdam</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This Summer, I was finally able to cross Amsterdam off my bucket list. I've wanted to visit Holland for so long, as that's where my ancestors are from. We were so lucky to have perfect weather while we were there, so we got to experience everything that Amsterdam has to offer, and even got to spend two days with our friends from Germany who joined us there. You can read all about our time in Amsterdam and Europe <a href="http://www.pretty-random-things.com/2015/09/a-european-summer.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5V_yFkASdw_cVwPHRKkR2blMWhp3hTgmYj_0Mzc9Hk9sqLjkWBuOXPonsOCU6M_KeC5-QqC_llI4qlfxnxiCPQiFo15vHiCvzRStnmV08SWi7YcxaIBAoO8RJ1muOj909Yc3hcmxfMTB/s1600/amsterdam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="amsterdam-canals" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5V_yFkASdw_cVwPHRKkR2blMWhp3hTgmYj_0Mzc9Hk9sqLjkWBuOXPonsOCU6M_KeC5-QqC_llI4qlfxnxiCPQiFo15vHiCvzRStnmV08SWi7YcxaIBAoO8RJ1muOj909Yc3hcmxfMTB/s640/amsterdam.jpg" title="Amsterdam" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Enjoying the scenery in Amsterdam</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Exciting projects and collaborations</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lately, my blog has been taking a backseat to my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. Not that I don't still enjoy blogging, but recently I've been enjoying the photography part more. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> has been a great platform for this. Sharing photos are fun, and I enjoy meeting like-minded and creative people from around the world. It has also offered a platform for me to collaborate with some great companies like <i>The Fifth Watches</i>, <i>Byredo TW</i>, <i>Franco Florenzi</i>, <i>Sudio Sweden</i> and many more. I'm so thankful for these companies for reaching out to me, and I can't wait to see what 2016 has in store.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh754Xy45EqCwHU3175h1FK_A3_NkLrvhFiQOlUKkBsMwypAxo_d65h-_Xz0orDhO6QCvqk0UoWXcpnoJ3SAa1_pBBdLPQb_DaxZmcQJcFXjfFJkcJotnsW7zq9Aq0wb6JPQDCCdcV9pqdt/s1600/byredo-tw.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="byredo-blanche" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh754Xy45EqCwHU3175h1FK_A3_NkLrvhFiQOlUKkBsMwypAxo_d65h-_Xz0orDhO6QCvqk0UoWXcpnoJ3SAa1_pBBdLPQb_DaxZmcQJcFXjfFJkcJotnsW7zq9Aq0wb6JPQDCCdcV9pqdt/s640/byredo-tw.jpg" title="Byredo TW Blanche" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>From Russia, with love</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I never thought I'd ever get to visit Russia. To me, it may as well be on another planet, and I have always been very curious about it. During our cruise, we got to spend two days in St. Petersburg. It was two loooong, busy days with a jampacked schedule, and we got to see so many interesting places. Learning about Russia's history by visiting the museums and palaces there was surreal. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRDuRgPHcbf1QdQVVhMJMfTA763EsS50GPVNcUjJ8DXBDWP8ZG_8O9xtoaFKorsfmnVl8LC2iDbhJIjrKuI3qQ3WL_dFLKVCsaHq7ay4JSd40IidWSRSmvjs6Q0Cq3h3N_MxOL3pUU5uV/s1600/peterhof-russia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="stpetersburg-russia" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRDuRgPHcbf1QdQVVhMJMfTA763EsS50GPVNcUjJ8DXBDWP8ZG_8O9xtoaFKorsfmnVl8LC2iDbhJIjrKuI3qQ3WL_dFLKVCsaHq7ay4JSd40IidWSRSmvjs6Q0Cq3h3N_MxOL3pUU5uV/s640/peterhof-russia.jpg" title="Peterhof Russia" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Peterhof</i>, Russia</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Actually, this list can go on for ages. 2015 was an incredible year and I can't wait to see what 2016 has in store for us. We have many exciting trips lined up already, which will literally take us around the world, so it will surely make next year another one for the books.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Now, please share your biggest highlight of 2015 in the comments.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>HAPPY NEW YEAR!</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com8Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-77238831542360782042015-11-16T16:12:00.000+08:002015-11-16T16:13:09.814+08:00Run, Forrest, Run!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0HMNHOTabBTTicSgSuorT2moWPH47aLj26sUZf4JqxbXdpzIxL8h55D-5qrfKFxsqsIMawJkBTLVMnItZmMYn4jM6gk9-8rc_kr0PX4W0Ox1e-cBdSB3awZz23hD-o_wGObbDEZf9x1v/s1600/fitness+flatlays.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="fitness flatlay workout exercise fitnessinspo nike dropbottle fitbit sudio" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0HMNHOTabBTTicSgSuorT2moWPH47aLj26sUZf4JqxbXdpzIxL8h55D-5qrfKFxsqsIMawJkBTLVMnItZmMYn4jM6gk9-8rc_kr0PX4W0Ox1e-cBdSB3awZz23hD-o_wGObbDEZf9x1v/s640/fitness+flatlays.JPG" title="Fitness Favorites" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hold on to your seats, because you guys are not going to believe this! But... a few months ago I started running. *gasp* I know! I also never thought the day would come where I'd be huffing and puffing around a park without anything chasing me. Miracles still occur, people! So you might be asking, </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"How on earth did this happen, Liesl?!"</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Believe it or not, it all started with a teeny tiny little device called <i>FitBit</i>. What it is, is just a simple step counter. (You get ones with more bells and whistles though) But, to make it more exciting, <i>FitBit</i> has an app where you can compare your daily and weekly steps with friends and family (whom also own <i>FitBits</i>). My entire family and some friends have these, and I decided to get in on the action.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Now, I'm not the most competitive person in the world, but I WANTED to be at the top of that leader board. And although I already averaged about 10k to 15k steps a day, I just needed to make sure I stayed at the top. (My brother often gives me a run for my money!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So, one evening I threw on my running shoes, headed to the park and started running, albeit slowly and with plenty of walking in between. I don't know if it was the lovely cool breeze, fresh air, solitude, fun tunes blasting over my <i>iPod</i>, burst of endorphins or the fact that I reached 20k steps on my <i>FitBit</i> that night, but I was hooked. And I've just kept on returning to the park, addicted to that rush of feel-good hormones that flood my body after a great run.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I now run about 3 to 5km up to four times a week, which is a huge accomplishment for me and makes me feel fantastic. I don't run fast, and I don't run if I don't feel like it. For years I always wondered how people could torture themselves like that, looking like they are near death as they jog past me. But now I get it, dear red-faced-unsexy-sweaty-people-of-the-world, I'm one of you now!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Besides running, and walking a lot during the day, I've also incorporated an exercise routine I do at home about four or five times a week. I know it sounds like a lot, but it really isn't if you do it for 20 minutes while watching TV or some YouTube videos. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My 20-minute routine consists of various arm exercises with my 3kg weights, squats, lunges, push-ups and sit-ups. (I'll skip the lunges and squats if I've just gotten back from running.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've found that just doing something active every day, really makes me feel wonderful, and it has also motivated me to eat healthier, too. Running has been great for keeping anxiety at bay and helping me sleep better, and incorporating weights into my workout routine has made me much stronger and more toned.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm not planning on running marathons, but it would be great to be able to run 10km in one go, which is my ultimate goal. Other than that, I just want to continue living a healthier lifestyle and taking care of my mind and body. And, of course, I just want to continue kicking ass on that <i>FitBit </i>steps leader board! *sticks tongue out at my brother*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Step Counter: <b>FitBit</b> Zip (<a href="http://bit.ly/1kzkD5d" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Shorts: <b>Nike</b> Pro (<a href="http://bit.ly/1kzkuhW" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Trainers: <b>Nike</b> Free Flyknit (<a href="http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pd/free-4-flyknit-running-shoe/pid-10312972/pgid-10279571" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Earphones: <b>Sudio</b> KLANG (<a href="http://www.sudiosweden.com/tw/klang-white" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Bottle: <b>DropBottle</b> (<a href="http://www.dropbottle.co/collections/frontpage/products/rose-gold-drop-bottle" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>If any of you own a <i>FitBit</i> or similar step counter, what's your daily average steps? Do you also compete with family and friends?</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com24Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-996149455423483742015-11-09T12:12:00.001+08:002015-11-09T12:12:38.149+08:00My 2-Day Juice Cleanse Experience<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioI7zC9kvKaQtEBECcRJAG7FblArQyY96-WU4dJRJDLBcwlncrMdzTFqPpC_jgkwL_DcF5psWAm8fkPLe5PrQE_vXvC1683q5ajfQ3BGYQx5fbozCGCJfmRN0cnvjYVjMhN5brA1rUITT3/s1600/IMG_3165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="juicydiarytw" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioI7zC9kvKaQtEBECcRJAG7FblArQyY96-WU4dJRJDLBcwlncrMdzTFqPpC_jgkwL_DcF5psWAm8fkPLe5PrQE_vXvC1683q5ajfQ3BGYQx5fbozCGCJfmRN0cnvjYVjMhN5brA1rUITT3/s640/IMG_3165.JPG" title="Juicy Diary TW juice cleanse" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My body didn't tell me to slow down, it screamed it at me for weeks. My busy work schedule and jam packed social calendar have really started to take a toll on my body and health lately, so I knew it was time for me to be more responsible and make better choices when it comes to food. And so I made the decision to do 2-day juice cleanse and jump start this healthier lifestyle that I'm aiming for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've been interested in juicing ever since I watched <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aaxa7rxEbyk" target="_blank">Jason Vale's <i>Super Juice Me</i> documentary</a> many months ago, but I've just never put a few days aside to actually do a cleanse. Until this past weekend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've been meaning to buy my own juicer, but I discovered a juice shop called <a href="http://juicydiary.com.tw/" target="_blank">Juicy Diary</a> here in Taipei that delivers fresh cold-pressed juices right to your doorstep. So I went on their website and picked a 2-day juice cleanse set, and it was delivered to me on Friday evening. Very convenient!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFj2Mvi69fAJmtzhyphenhyphenGgyFd6EphQdfc1sJC1q2syVz9jRBg3FGfi5afGp1Nw_ffSTBeDuofHMXVHtw6o3OxSR4_d5_actQKgaY_nKPMxxdYWmO9ODmYBKUM_jG1iS7sxjYO8zPgi2OtwlCP/s1600/IMG_3163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="juicecleanse" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFj2Mvi69fAJmtzhyphenhyphenGgyFd6EphQdfc1sJC1q2syVz9jRBg3FGfi5afGp1Nw_ffSTBeDuofHMXVHtw6o3OxSR4_d5_actQKgaY_nKPMxxdYWmO9ODmYBKUM_jG1iS7sxjYO8zPgi2OtwlCP/s640/IMG_3163.JPG" title="Juicy Diary TW juice cleanse" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Okay, so how does it work? Each day I was to drink one juice every two hours, totaling six juices for the day, and twelve juices for the weekend. They also recommend drinking a lot of water, some herbal teas and lemon water throughout the cleanse. As for food, if you want to do the cleanse properly, you really shouldn't eat anything, but alas, I prepared a fridge full of fresh fruit and vegetables anyway, just in case I got really hungry. I mean, I'm not trying to starve myself here, I just needed a health kick.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So this is what went down during my 2-day juice cleanse journey:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Day 1 (Saturday):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>8am - Water with fresh lemon</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I woke up refreshed, excited, and energetic. I've never done a juice cleanse before, and I've never gone two days without eating solid foods, but I was up for the challenge, and ready to take this giant step towards a healthier lifestyle. I drank a Mason jar of water with fresh lemons to kick-start my detox, and then I took Toby out for a 20-minute walk.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fS8UUIIn24IQjTr2RkXek5luvdxxPFuokfPG4qmDCvMJMQ1GuNinjdajw3lLGMTK1zxqViofkBxo4cDcDrGKwtE3gak-aUvpFawdtx7HYxyTzuy1hbZM6VCYhiUHzahguUUvK8dxkmUB/s1600/IMG_3161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="lemon water detox cleanse" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fS8UUIIn24IQjTr2RkXek5luvdxxPFuokfPG4qmDCvMJMQ1GuNinjdajw3lLGMTK1zxqViofkBxo4cDcDrGKwtE3gak-aUvpFawdtx7HYxyTzuy1hbZM6VCYhiUHzahguUUvK8dxkmUB/s640/IMG_3161.JPG" title="lemon water detox" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>9am - Juice #1 GREENS</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ingredients: </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Romaine, Celery, Cucumber, Lemon, Chia Seeds and Coconut Water</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We were off to a rough start, as I really didn't like the overwhelming taste of celery in this juice. I just closed my eyes, tried not to breathe through my nose, and drank it as fast as I could. Maybe I'm just being a little dramatic now, but it wasn't my favorite out of the bunch. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>11am - Juice #2 ROOTS</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ingredients: <i>Pineapple, Carrot and Ginger</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This one was absolutely delicious and by far my favorite juice out of all the juices this weekend. If I could, I'd drink this juice every day for the rest of my life. It was sweet and yummy and totally made up for Juice #1.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">By this time I was thinking about my regular morning ritual; a cup of coffee. Damn, I really craved it! Even though I only have one cup (maaayyybe two cups) a day, I missed it terribly. I did a light 20-minute workout, vacuumed the house and did a load of laundry to take my mind off of the coffee craving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>1pm - Juice #3 CITRUS</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ingredients: <i>Pineapple, Cucumber, Lemon, Apple, Mint and Chia Seeds</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This juice tasted fine, but didn't blow my hair back. Around this time I was starting to feel hungry and sluggish. I watched some TV and ended up passing out on the couch for an hour and a half.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>3pm - Juice #4 ROOTS</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ingredients: <i>Beets, Pineapple and Lemon</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Another fabulous juice! Delicious and sweet. Around this time I started getting a dull headache, which I assumed was from not having my daily caffeine fix, or from the detoxing process. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I went out with The Husband for a walk, but the headache kept lingering.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>5pm - Juice #5 CITRUS</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ingredients: <i>Apple, Pear, Kiwi, Lemon and Celery</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Luckily the celery wasn't as prominent in this one, perhaps the apple influenced that. It was definitely much better than Juice #1. My headache got worse though, which made me feel horrible, as I couldn't focus on anything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>7pm - Juice #6 NUTS</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ingredients: <i>Almond, Dates, Vanilla, Mineral Water, Sea Salt</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I had no idea what to expect from this one, I mean, never in my life have I had a nut-flavored juice. It was surprisingly delicious, and one of my favorites this weekend. It was a much thicker consistency than the others, and actually felt more like a meal. It definitely made me feel "full".</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFntBdLIRHhgWCf69rWqU6ejnFbDBeu-Cj_n4z4FhbeGQ7XJWddifTuQZn6Mcli6UnafSPHGT5koVV5ovNeRNoXAJa9aLjcR-EMeMyZycu7MyPdFXq1Zpml8bmurM3zV3jwK3T-0DD_zYv/s1600/IMG_3162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="juicing cleanse juice cleanse" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFntBdLIRHhgWCf69rWqU6ejnFbDBeu-Cj_n4z4FhbeGQ7XJWddifTuQZn6Mcli6UnafSPHGT5koVV5ovNeRNoXAJa9aLjcR-EMeMyZycu7MyPdFXq1Zpml8bmurM3zV3jwK3T-0DD_zYv/s640/IMG_3162.JPG" title="Juicy Diary TW juice cleanse" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Overall Day 1 experience:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I truly thought I'd be way hungrier than what I was. I guess the nutrients in the juices satisfied my body, so I didn't feel like I was starving. I did crave my daily coffee, and thought about eating some fruit which I'd bought "for in case". I didn't end up eating any though. I drank A LOT of water throughout the day, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was home by myself for most of the day, which I assume made this process easier. I can't imagine having to watch The Husband scarf down on some solids while I was sipping on a juice. I was quite sluggish and, apart from taking a couple of walks and doing some light exercises and housework, I spent most of my day on the couch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In general, it was a good day, but the headaches really ruined it for me. I had so many things planned to keep myself busy this weekend, but the throbbing in my head was so bad that I couldn't read anything or watch TV for most of the day. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and go to sleep. I was in bed by 9pm! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Day 2 (Sunday):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>8am - Water with fresh lemon</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I literally jumped out of bed with glee when I realized that my headache was gone. I guess that's what eleven hours of uninterrupted sleep would do to a person. (The Husband went away for the night with some friends, so the house was quiet.) I had water with lemon again, and took Toby out for a 30-minute walk in the park.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>9am - Juice #1 GREENS</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ingredients: <i>Romaine, Celery, Cucumber, Lemon, Chia Seeds and Coconut Water</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Bleh! This is exactly the same juice as Day 1's first juice. Again, I just closed my eyes and finished it as fast as I could. I didn't crave coffee as much this morning, but I definitely thought about it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>11am - Juice #2 ROOTS</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ingredients: <i>Carrot, Pineapple and Ginger</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Again, this was the same one as Day 1's second juice. No complaints, because I absolutely loved that one. I felt great and did a 20-minute workout at home, did some housework and got ready for the day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>1pm - Juice #3 CITRUS</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ingredients: <i>Apple, Lemon, Kiwi, Celery and Ginger</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This juice was okay, neither great nor terrible. I felt a slight headache creeping up on me again, which was annoying, so I took a 45-minute nap which definitely helped.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>3pm - Juice #4 ROOTS </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ingredients: <i>Beets, Pineapple and Lemon</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Also the same as Day 1's fourth juice, which made me happy. I enjoyed it so much! I read my book and watched some TV shows, which kept me occupied for most of the afternoon.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47FXJnP_FledXqrNUXfIvW-IT0trHGYqTAAdeP8pPhhwvxFAsOgaTsFqeF1N-CgByIbvCqVYcl9QP-CCwJs0Pp7PK0ENB9S29X9754P1R3Ht26MxtoH-eZFbqfE1mMwmblrVjP2PdAwQy/s1600/IMG_3166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="juicing juice detox vegan" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47FXJnP_FledXqrNUXfIvW-IT0trHGYqTAAdeP8pPhhwvxFAsOgaTsFqeF1N-CgByIbvCqVYcl9QP-CCwJs0Pp7PK0ENB9S29X9754P1R3Ht26MxtoH-eZFbqfE1mMwmblrVjP2PdAwQy/s640/IMG_3166.JPG" title="Juicy Diary TW juice cleanse" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>5pm - Juice #5 GREENS</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ingredients: <i>Romaine, Celery, Cucumber, Lemon, Chia Seeds and Coconut Water</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Damn! Another one! It took me a while to finish this juice, as I really wasn't feeling the celery. I forced it down while doing some online shopping, because it took my mind off of the taste. (There's always an excuse to do online shopping!) I took Toby out for a 20-minute walk and kept myself busy with things around the house.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>7pm - Juice #6 NUTS</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ingredients: <i>Almond, Dates, Cacao, Mineral Water and Sea Salt</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And so, it was time for the last juice of the weekend, ending my 2-day juice cleanse. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, the cacao made it taste like a thick chocolate shake, and was glad to end the cleanse on a high note.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegcID6B4WvnvUjwDyIfuq9783bfvvmz-9iB50tmLSsR3Jch6Oyjy8ElW2pOfAFYvYumRsf46XGuBJCZz0VLAXr8gwvUs6G-zA8QrhVMSbxJmP-dvhDcNYleBSXeOQM-7BZFXO9KuSUWn7/s1600/IMG_3164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="juices taiwan cleanse juicing" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegcID6B4WvnvUjwDyIfuq9783bfvvmz-9iB50tmLSsR3Jch6Oyjy8ElW2pOfAFYvYumRsf46XGuBJCZz0VLAXr8gwvUs6G-zA8QrhVMSbxJmP-dvhDcNYleBSXeOQM-7BZFXO9KuSUWn7/s640/IMG_3164.JPG" title="Juicy Diary TW juices" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Day After (Monday)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Overall experience and final thoughts</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">Doing the 2-day juice cleanse was fairly easy (easier than what I had anticipated). I wasn't as hungry as I thought I'd be, I didn't experience any mood swings and I didn't feel nauseous. But, I didn't have a lot of energy and suffered really bad headaches throughout the weekend, which was awful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">After two days of juicing, I felt like I was only getting started and could have continued only drinking juices for probably a couple more days. So next time I'd like to try a 5-day juice cleanse. Yep, already thinking about "next time". I've decided to go ahead and purchase my own juicer, to incorporate juices into my daily life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">I feel pretty good today, and didn't drink any coffee. I ate some oatmeal for breakfast and just had rice, vegetables and meat for lunch. I do still have a slight headache, but other than that, I have plenty of energy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">I'd recommend a juice cleanse to anyone who feels like they just need that extra something to help kick-start a healthier lifestyle. If drinking nothing but juice for a few days scare you too much, you can incorporate some fresh fruit and vegetables. Also, just having one juice a day is already a big step in the right direction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><b>My tips for when you decide to embark on a juice cleanse:</b></span><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Don't make any plans to leave the house, trust me, you are going to want to be close to your bathroom.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Don't plan on doing much, you are likely to feel sluggish, especially in the afternoon.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Make sure you have some fresh fruit and veg in your house for in case you really need to eat something.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you don't live by yourself, encourage the rest of your household to join you in the juice cleanse.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Let me know if you have any questions about the cleanse, you can also email me at liesl@pretty-random-things.com</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Have you ever done a juice cleanse, what was your experience? Or have you thought about doing it? </b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com15Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-262834352817112572015-11-01T16:49:00.000+08:002015-11-01T16:49:10.789+08:00Everything's Peachy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have a thing for neutrals (basically my entire closet is an ode to denim, black, grey and white.) But sometimes, I do go a little "wild" and wear other colors; exhibit A, this peachy scalloped hem top. Isn't it adorable?!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It goes perfectly with this beautiful peachy watch from <b>The Fifth</b>. I've been eyeing their watches for a while now, and finally decided on two from the <i>New York Classic</i> collection. Also, bonus, this one comes with two bands, this peachy color and a light grey. So really, it's two watches for the price of one. And then I also got the all-black one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For this ensemble, I also threw in my classic <b>Ray-Ban</b> <i>Aviators</i>, this stunning bracelet from <b>UncommonGoods</b> and the cute-as-a-button <b>Mansur Gavriel</b> mini cross body bag. Let me know what you think!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaJcPFVs0C011EtV_DkRee3_z_0pYI4tgjayElo9-WI3gkfkJTNZUQivSKAl4ImazIS4DhaZmQE_g3FFQ49aWIs9XmZgai7TzY73lN0jv4WVYfBUh_jYsgP6UMfG2tRQXECiFif1ijGNb/s1600/IMG_2844.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="scallop-shirt-rayban-aviators" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaJcPFVs0C011EtV_DkRee3_z_0pYI4tgjayElo9-WI3gkfkJTNZUQivSKAl4ImazIS4DhaZmQE_g3FFQ49aWIs9XmZgai7TzY73lN0jv4WVYfBUh_jYsgP6UMfG2tRQXECiFif1ijGNb/s640/IMG_2844.JPG" title="YOINS-scallop-shirt" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5KUXol5nglGTn5PpTm-X2N9pXeZ9cgpF1nohGfIBoxZTQo0lpUvMPE2zVIK5TIKve-_DebT-7NY9cjagH7NChWIMnJLEou9GJang8L55u_cN6zfROcXgRHIqBACY1aF5K2NSKxbJDVTw/s1600/IMG_2841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="mansurgavriel-mini-crossbody" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5KUXol5nglGTn5PpTm-X2N9pXeZ9cgpF1nohGfIBoxZTQo0lpUvMPE2zVIK5TIKve-_DebT-7NY9cjagH7NChWIMnJLEou9GJang8L55u_cN6zfROcXgRHIqBACY1aF5K2NSKxbJDVTw/s640/IMG_2841.JPG" title="fifth-watch" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_-7dW3XRtkI5AKvdb019f7y-W6eeEB4xdlu8nvHr77RUYJIrUJQ8I_Jn9pvjB1kl6-uM7fJXRdLKS_VVjVFWllLyP1oYlJGFhebnEN6vKANNeOcsvUQzJHunZxsxL-jWKYrha9L9cy-i/s1600/IMG_2833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="scalloped-top-hem" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_-7dW3XRtkI5AKvdb019f7y-W6eeEB4xdlu8nvHr77RUYJIrUJQ8I_Jn9pvjB1kl6-uM7fJXRdLKS_VVjVFWllLyP1oYlJGFhebnEN6vKANNeOcsvUQzJHunZxsxL-jWKYrha9L9cy-i/s640/IMG_2833.JPG" title="yoins-scallop-shirt" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghN6e2UjL_h-kVcQlWnJ-eimA6LG5kFOwQvdrO1eUAfegAiarVs4OQvOzWeqPCHeKI-b9ihS28dJqRrJzLaUPTDUfnOLQK0K8ITvObuJd-S50d55fPwVjw4IglMUQDfrkk53aepZDMPKgt/s1600/IMG_2835.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="peach-watch" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghN6e2UjL_h-kVcQlWnJ-eimA6LG5kFOwQvdrO1eUAfegAiarVs4OQvOzWeqPCHeKI-b9ihS28dJqRrJzLaUPTDUfnOLQK0K8ITvObuJd-S50d55fPwVjw4IglMUQDfrkk53aepZDMPKgt/s640/IMG_2835.JPG" title="the-fifth-watch-peach" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Watch: <b>THE FIFTH</b> New York Classic collection (<a href="http://www.thefifthwatches.com/" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Shirt: <b>YOINS</b> scalloped hem (<a href="http://www.yoins.com/Light-Pink-Chiffon-Vest-with-Scallop-Hem-p-967149.html?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=53129&utm_campaign=G55EE750750192&utm_content=chenjieling2" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bag: <b>MANSUR GAVRIEL</b> mini cross body (<a href="http://bit.ly/1GIqP4n" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Shoes: <b>ASOS</b> canvas sneakers (<a href="http://bit.ly/1O6mSsX" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sunglasses: <b>RAY-BAN</b> Aviators (<a href="http://bit.ly/1WgPYdq" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />Bracelet: <b>UncommonGoods</b> jewelry (<a href="https://www.uncommongoods.com/jewelry" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>I hope you've all had a fantastic weekend!</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com11Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-63520377710755867332015-10-19T08:21:00.001+08:002015-10-19T08:21:13.664+08:00Weekend Me-Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHmN_nO1aiTK5kZ89zQO6JUtwpa5kOmhpGGN2SXEH_xmjBmbKnufYn697Bed7OywSQypzGgHg4u8dU9Rbtr-aiWeGV9qrL-tLMMyj6aV9Pq0sBu_2DBSUozmoKvZ9-fG-D-BcxfSo93XM/s1600/sudio-klang-earphones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sudio-earphones" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHmN_nO1aiTK5kZ89zQO6JUtwpa5kOmhpGGN2SXEH_xmjBmbKnufYn697Bed7OywSQypzGgHg4u8dU9Rbtr-aiWeGV9qrL-tLMMyj6aV9Pq0sBu_2DBSUozmoKvZ9-fG-D-BcxfSo93XM/s640/sudio-klang-earphones.jpg" title="Weekend Me-Time" width="626" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ah, weekend me-time; there are few things quite like it. Because The Husband works for a few hours on a Saturday morning, I make sure to recharge my introvert self by occupying myself with the things that feed my soul; music, photography, books and a relaxing cup of tea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Current me-time favorites:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <b>Grown Alchemist</b> <i>Vanilla & Orange Peel</i> hand cream (<a href="http://bit.ly/1Gl8v0W" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <b>KINFOLK</b> <i>Volume 17</i> (<a href="https://www.kinfolk.com/shops/magazine/kinfolk-issue-seventeen-2/" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <b>Sudio</b> <i>KLANG</i> earphones (<a href="http://www.sudiosweden.com/en/earphones-collection/klang-white" target="_blank">here</a>) Get <u>15% off</u> your purchase with code: <b>LIESL15</b> (until Oct 31, 2015)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <b>Harrods</b> English Breakfast tea (<a href="http://bit.ly/1KixWv9" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Do you set aside a time for yourself every week? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>What do you like to do for quality me-time? </b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com7Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-76224378834020942472015-09-28T13:33:00.003+08:002015-09-28T13:33:45.514+08:00I Woke Up Like This<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yay for long weekends and cozy days at home! Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to all my friends here in Taiwan, I hope you got to celebrate it with your families and loved ones this weekend. And happy Monday to the rest of you, I hope it's not a blue one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We'll be taking it easy today and spend the day lounging at home, as the weather is absolutely miserable because of typhoon <i>Dujuan</i> that's currently making its way here. This means I'll be spending most of the day in a <a href="http://goo.gl/swlv6s" target="_blank">comfy t-shirt</a> and catch up on some reading and maybe do some <a href="http://www.pretty-random-things.com/2012/06/top-10-tuesday-favorite-online-shopping.html" target="_blank">online shopping</a>... Perfect!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlo_j5WY6KRTc-um7ORO6lZtF_q7JyWCSq7LNkhESFEgxhC9rG_SaYpRaSw11TZUQiMPw93YjG7fLiTiSv5qd0h69bodRzzuvdWOwwZP_5JlERIBw6OcyHtVBH-gQ1I-qlsXykDRjFz2D3/s1600/IMG_1301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlo_j5WY6KRTc-um7ORO6lZtF_q7JyWCSq7LNkhESFEgxhC9rG_SaYpRaSw11TZUQiMPw93YjG7fLiTiSv5qd0h69bodRzzuvdWOwwZP_5JlERIBw6OcyHtVBH-gQ1I-qlsXykDRjFz2D3/s640/IMG_1301.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FlkLg25EXH5rjEFdhF8EsUW560K1E-hr9kdpamr1vCuOOU5hd5t2EBTLtQRWcYEL2JqRaGsFgQcBLuFFdrg2ZC_kKV1nL-D1aL8x_AqEw52KqptKFrb0X1LPbrQZrzUNn7dnIrAV_hFi/s1600/IMG_1299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FlkLg25EXH5rjEFdhF8EsUW560K1E-hr9kdpamr1vCuOOU5hd5t2EBTLtQRWcYEL2JqRaGsFgQcBLuFFdrg2ZC_kKV1nL-D1aL8x_AqEw52KqptKFrb0X1LPbrQZrzUNn7dnIrAV_hFi/s640/IMG_1299.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">T-shirt: <b>SheIn</b> (<a href="http://goo.gl/swlv6s" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Magazine: <b>Kinfolk</b> (<a href="https://www.kinfolk.com/shops/magazine/kinfolk-issue-seventeen-2/" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Have a good Monday, y'all!</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com6Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-17159705467262211162015-09-26T10:31:00.000+08:002015-09-26T10:31:02.397+08:00I Must Be INSTA-Dreaming!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQoCfImiMf_7Dqny-9z9lO-2TdFMp2bXQmDG7OfNwbNc7lxeSEmere6Ovu8Ifx_KFuk8TUrLE1b0hwP6VGZ1bx-jvNVAMlPJZhIgoMUDf8VCxP1JAm_cWw9Q_YUTXODTliEo3xnC1Xt2Z/s1600/IMG_1443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="instagram-flatlay-style-monochrome" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQoCfImiMf_7Dqny-9z9lO-2TdFMp2bXQmDG7OfNwbNc7lxeSEmere6Ovu8Ifx_KFuk8TUrLE1b0hwP6VGZ1bx-jvNVAMlPJZhIgoMUDf8VCxP1JAm_cWw9Q_YUTXODTliEo3xnC1Xt2Z/s640/IMG_1443.JPG" title="elle-magazine-feature" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I can't say that I wasn't beside myself with joy when I was recently contacted by <b>ELLE Magazine SA</b>, informing me that they have chosen <a href="http://instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">my <i>Instagram</i></a> account as one of their weekly <i>INSTA-CRUSH</i> features. <b>ELLE Magazine SA</b>! The same magazine that I used to beg my mom to buy me every month as a teenage girl, and would pour over for hours, drooling over the gorgeous fashion and latest beauty products. They like my <i>Instagram</i> account!? Am I dreaming?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I really thought I was, so I didn't tell anyone about it, except The Husband and a couple of close friends. It just seemed too good to be true. But sure enough, last week my feature was published on their website as that week's <i>INSTA-CRUSH</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Maybe to some people it wouldn't be such a big deal, but I'm pretty excited about it and extremely grateful for the opportunity. Posting my photographs on <i>Instagram</i> has become one of my favorite hobbies, and it feels good to know that others enjoy it, too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I thought I'd share this delightful news with you, and also take the time to thank each of you who take the time to support and encourage me. I truly appreciate it! Oh, before I forget the most important part, here's the link to my feature and Q&A on <b>ELLE Magazine SA</b>: <a href="http://www.elle.co.za/insta-crush-_liesl_/"><b>http://www.elle.co.za/insta-crush-_liesl_/</b></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Have a lovely weekend and feel free to follow me on<i> <a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></i> if you haven't already.</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">@_liesl_</a> on <i>Instagram</i></b></span></td></tr>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com8Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-15359584730950153292015-09-17T13:59:00.002+08:002015-09-17T14:12:29.556+08:00Europe Photo Diary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As promised, I'm bringing you a photo diary of our recent trip to Europe (read all about it <a href="http://www.pretty-random-things.com/2015/09/a-european-summer.html" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>). Even though I'm dedicating an entire blog post to my travel pics, it was still hard choosing from the hundreds of snapshots I made. These are some of my favorites captured during our three weeks in Europe, all taken with my iPhone 6 Plus. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Amsterdam, Netherlands</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kpuG5ldeawBEkfGznT2R3G3CJ0_BX84NeZIOuF8mMV8RrrB6WJKXn_Bmdkl8uCTj2DlPum5Ows1pRUGz38Ppb0ESq3FsiF2IwQYfcLt4g2Sz4tJwUtZ4Pvme2jLs-uP2S2Ss5tS16cQF/s1600/Amsterdam+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img alt="amsterdam-canal-view" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kpuG5ldeawBEkfGznT2R3G3CJ0_BX84NeZIOuF8mMV8RrrB6WJKXn_Bmdkl8uCTj2DlPum5Ows1pRUGz38Ppb0ESq3FsiF2IwQYfcLt4g2Sz4tJwUtZ4Pvme2jLs-uP2S2Ss5tS16cQF/s640/Amsterdam+1.jpg" title="travel-amsterdam" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnJQJgC7BIbFICWftE1v4XHBHzfINVXAO6aps5oWMVejp169rI1n0FQWmGbRiRup9yspP5Cb-3WQ9Z5AJjs0ZeksG7NbkLi_5fZcAz8IgD0phxX-AHiDmL6k5Mo0K_c-abYgVYLqcEyuD/s1600/amsterdam+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="amsterdam-pastries" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnJQJgC7BIbFICWftE1v4XHBHzfINVXAO6aps5oWMVejp169rI1n0FQWmGbRiRup9yspP5Cb-3WQ9Z5AJjs0ZeksG7NbkLi_5fZcAz8IgD0phxX-AHiDmL6k5Mo0K_c-abYgVYLqcEyuD/s640/amsterdam+2.jpg" title="amsterdam-food" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpG8ZYWOH5V6a50Auw2R3lC3xp6_Y5CVMm6PQjLIZYrsax9gPHSoAn0xG0KqZlZ4IZzS3tSPCAKt7P7MPphnDUkrTSby0UqcjQrJDdwzfBo3PyPBwBmCzYXgUjMqrBR9K9CZxk_W-X7z0T/s1600/amsterdam+4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="oudekerk-view-amsterdam" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpG8ZYWOH5V6a50Auw2R3lC3xp6_Y5CVMm6PQjLIZYrsax9gPHSoAn0xG0KqZlZ4IZzS3tSPCAKt7P7MPphnDUkrTSby0UqcjQrJDdwzfBo3PyPBwBmCzYXgUjMqrBR9K9CZxk_W-X7z0T/s640/amsterdam+4.jpg" title="amsterdam-from-above" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8lmZU3GsKu7bGfpNwk0b6oE_9noH9iJTz2Y9jFcWdRXyU1Rxt6dLrmid-sLTUP_5ualsXEeFoRVzruH7LHN1L730Ii3TLzk5oNxiObnpz7TlEZAh-kRq133XIBqrQ4VER62LUjlFNL7k/s1600/amsterdam+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="amsterdam-cheese-holland" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8lmZU3GsKu7bGfpNwk0b6oE_9noH9iJTz2Y9jFcWdRXyU1Rxt6dLrmid-sLTUP_5ualsXEeFoRVzruH7LHN1L730Ii3TLzk5oNxiObnpz7TlEZAh-kRq133XIBqrQ4VER62LUjlFNL7k/s640/amsterdam+6.jpg" title="amsterdam-cheese-shop" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08Om2S4qP3nzmU7-jMoCOzJFB-R6SPxV99ISFRkey45MSzQmqv8QIOsnAkUr1So5hQUSVHsRFdQftPstq6bP6rP86GmW8kHG67piXgFG1gMXz4F2VV5UR-lhS7EctlwF-LrXBxXw61pgT/s1600/amsterdam+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="amsterdam-houses-canal" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08Om2S4qP3nzmU7-jMoCOzJFB-R6SPxV99ISFRkey45MSzQmqv8QIOsnAkUr1So5hQUSVHsRFdQftPstq6bP6rP86GmW8kHG67piXgFG1gMXz4F2VV5UR-lhS7EctlwF-LrXBxXw61pgT/s640/amsterdam+7.jpg" title="amsterdam-architecture" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKl9Ct0RVxZdaW8nsnsPdkt4dH2g7A-fNt9yTyVDCi_fj45tMVdAT7NdEWMmE5eQ5DEv_kL8XdrdsYV1UdJGXvLxTWb-ky_jh9vFqXwhVNHKTBuRqhQfrY2pQ7Iysa23ASrfay3vzktTa/s1600/amsterdam+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="nachtwacht-rembrandt" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKl9Ct0RVxZdaW8nsnsPdkt4dH2g7A-fNt9yTyVDCi_fj45tMVdAT7NdEWMmE5eQ5DEv_kL8XdrdsYV1UdJGXvLxTWb-ky_jh9vFqXwhVNHKTBuRqhQfrY2pQ7Iysa23ASrfay3vzktTa/s640/amsterdam+8.jpg" title="rijksmuseum-nachtwacht" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIuzWQxFuSK_tNUOIywjI5cEX3cfSHgprRrr5k0ahrOGpmyrjiEZHh2kUfxesL3JUtBJskoBTRUGG-My6lbSu6XXmlEfVW0LFHsTU_PLAsMzuevYCUAlgRvxL2sFET-S9ZJs8fehjD42-/s1600/amsterdam+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="amsterdam-fashion" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIuzWQxFuSK_tNUOIywjI5cEX3cfSHgprRrr5k0ahrOGpmyrjiEZHh2kUfxesL3JUtBJskoBTRUGG-My6lbSu6XXmlEfVW0LFHsTU_PLAsMzuevYCUAlgRvxL2sFET-S9ZJs8fehjD42-/s640/amsterdam+10.jpg" title="amsterdam-streetstyle" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Oslo, Norway</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcYYNtMqU3HNtRf_NzFCPt9zZnR-JEz9UBD_lDayhIa6ESnZBTlU-gWmhlyNenTC7m7-9JeuEkdmWH6ypuDMxClEE6YN26FQeeOzb4IYBXig-X0kl4LqCZiq54C9vKIS92yWFjrLPVOYS/s1600/2015-08-10+14.24.28-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="oslo-harbour" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcYYNtMqU3HNtRf_NzFCPt9zZnR-JEz9UBD_lDayhIa6ESnZBTlU-gWmhlyNenTC7m7-9JeuEkdmWH6ypuDMxClEE6YN26FQeeOzb4IYBXig-X0kl4LqCZiq54C9vKIS92yWFjrLPVOYS/s640/2015-08-10+14.24.28-1.jpg" title="oslo-boats" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SO6LidCAcSL0Ajmq1d_qYsV_I2FgfUysonUDg0IzBUXOcGVzqd2v2NVMfZozGd5CQSxNpwHscvdo2FJ_Zc854iv2-axVANwBs9ZaI9G0-NwlNqJQORTA-uZYZ1Tn4gTcWMVdO7Zl6iHs/s1600/2015-08-10+17.38.00-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="oslo-norway" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SO6LidCAcSL0Ajmq1d_qYsV_I2FgfUysonUDg0IzBUXOcGVzqd2v2NVMfZozGd5CQSxNpwHscvdo2FJ_Zc854iv2-axVANwBs9ZaI9G0-NwlNqJQORTA-uZYZ1Tn4gTcWMVdO7Zl6iHs/s640/2015-08-10+17.38.00-1.jpg" title="view-olso" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVScAEMtJSCxeDnsfXf7x9iE8YBuuu_PzrcHoFmfnFeWRHGz70G33wS9i_0GvkvgXy_FhhBQ1TiAILgwkGxeUtcKSY7mOl86N-57TdsW6TDTBcEvhRowRboPi3d3Q12ePaD3iJ_h-tisO_/s1600/oslo+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="oslo-water-statue" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVScAEMtJSCxeDnsfXf7x9iE8YBuuu_PzrcHoFmfnFeWRHGz70G33wS9i_0GvkvgXy_FhhBQ1TiAILgwkGxeUtcKSY7mOl86N-57TdsW6TDTBcEvhRowRboPi3d3Q12ePaD3iJ_h-tisO_/s640/oslo+4.jpg" title="oslo-harbour-statue" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">Århus</span>, Denmark</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszGLJU5zBC91Rx1jdrgu8wc1gHH0mO5QYT3KWik8JNw7IEespWmKCVGSjWUudZB_kYn4YfAohEolSaLUXJUKc4It-GCEgrEI0PUbgbbeO0NxYxxQgovGr0AFlcsg4WeI9omSMeAVDX2O9/s1600/aarhus+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="aarhus-church" border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszGLJU5zBC91Rx1jdrgu8wc1gHH0mO5QYT3KWik8JNw7IEespWmKCVGSjWUudZB_kYn4YfAohEolSaLUXJUKc4It-GCEgrEI0PUbgbbeO0NxYxxQgovGr0AFlcsg4WeI9omSMeAVDX2O9/s640/aarhus+1.jpg" title="aarhus-denmark" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCfIN0bDQMuOmNDZekJrYU9Ds7o-1QT5sEwsXr3rRu_bsh8VjYJlmw2DdJx-0pZM32hbEknhkmGRTMMj7DSLCbUXVh6n7K7Ak8J1IJB6pkrIGiZsltdFehVjICGtbkSTj9U0s1JiVrzgR/s1600/aarhus+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="church-door" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCfIN0bDQMuOmNDZekJrYU9Ds7o-1QT5sEwsXr3rRu_bsh8VjYJlmw2DdJx-0pZM32hbEknhkmGRTMMj7DSLCbUXVh6n7K7Ak8J1IJB6pkrIGiZsltdFehVjICGtbkSTj9U0s1JiVrzgR/s640/aarhus+2.jpg" title="aarhus-church" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKgIH2iiaEX1xDseIHGqUCAGjF33BEOBBkrKgcSkYmERz4tN_hEOY4cBIqrnejRwo-MQls-boK_ahoz4cFSTnRdQVBwpQ83I0ZIsVmK_LYh_d6f-VO31AfwOYWCUvvMed-WPvJOsVX5zw/s1600/aarhus+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aarhus-cathedral" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKgIH2iiaEX1xDseIHGqUCAGjF33BEOBBkrKgcSkYmERz4tN_hEOY4cBIqrnejRwo-MQls-boK_ahoz4cFSTnRdQVBwpQ83I0ZIsVmK_LYh_d6f-VO31AfwOYWCUvvMed-WPvJOsVX5zw/s640/aarhus+3.jpg" title="aarhus-church" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYtc3CGMuh85tHjYmVBL_DQDCJRP7LHl7Uq6MHRzKQjdoKHyAT7O9j7KrLSbbdM_2wvckc8-irXEuTyMuqXEaNDm3sf47dGH5DoLKBvkpiTb4rxe2HATtwSUYumAaI0p1rAeQSoF9yczb/s1600/aarhus+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="denmark-style" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYtc3CGMuh85tHjYmVBL_DQDCJRP7LHl7Uq6MHRzKQjdoKHyAT7O9j7KrLSbbdM_2wvckc8-irXEuTyMuqXEaNDm3sf47dGH5DoLKBvkpiTb4rxe2HATtwSUYumAaI0p1rAeQSoF9yczb/s640/aarhus+4.jpg" title="strideby-fashion" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIbfAv5IpyCdswqoHHQzojqolTRNAsX7U0cbu4egsO5jDQF8iP8OFN8SXU3nNUJSrokgCf__4JgPRv32j51TUyabmuk2_WxHDzSYFJigWCi-IZPMn1d2UH89zTfs5vVO4olRdSJF_5v6r/s1600/aarhus+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aarhus-oldtown" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIbfAv5IpyCdswqoHHQzojqolTRNAsX7U0cbu4egsO5jDQF8iP8OFN8SXU3nNUJSrokgCf__4JgPRv32j51TUyabmuk2_WxHDzSYFJigWCi-IZPMn1d2UH89zTfs5vVO4olRdSJF_5v6r/s640/aarhus+5.jpg" title="aarhus-denmark" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRPWGtZ-blEaMfwhq-Hx54edme5EX-08Sd137nXXGAb6v8iva0unqFK74ddyUiz8LxHr_3wbTQrjU7X3TdfRt6y7xGCU2BAdNiuCWKkzZ2hgOuBtlE8muDYEnBRaAyrJWYd-oQr1ECaTV/s1600/aarhus+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aarhus-graffiti" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRPWGtZ-blEaMfwhq-Hx54edme5EX-08Sd137nXXGAb6v8iva0unqFK74ddyUiz8LxHr_3wbTQrjU7X3TdfRt6y7xGCU2BAdNiuCWKkzZ2hgOuBtlE8muDYEnBRaAyrJWYd-oQr1ECaTV/s640/aarhus+6.jpg" title="aarhus-street" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjggTpMqcFbqj0SSp7XqWyg0vIrS26kpujm4JKP6u-TbIDTre-jW5rNQj7ykbt_31jSehQvfHbzGLfr_28LQd4qvB3pCxyFJVElV3QwX4almizJmH6SdTW_W7Uj-w14LP3Ba1bsn5iHcB/s1600/2015-08-11+16.42.02-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aarhus-center" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjggTpMqcFbqj0SSp7XqWyg0vIrS26kpujm4JKP6u-TbIDTre-jW5rNQj7ykbt_31jSehQvfHbzGLfr_28LQd4qvB3pCxyFJVElV3QwX4almizJmH6SdTW_W7Uj-w14LP3Ba1bsn5iHcB/s640/2015-08-11+16.42.02-1.jpg" title="aarhus-canal" width="512" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgaDF2ag1GSWI1q4ct1tNJivE5gcmZU5CFaIUEX5-Lx1JXPK7KNf5owwYKdaPq1JjmBPF1yuurMCZH19RxMBImRbbjOzTDs-Rn0jkAb2iOdcwT9cjOlbUT8SbvdNNyw8lPqHWl7-cbITC/s1600/aarhus+8.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="aarhus-city" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgaDF2ag1GSWI1q4ct1tNJivE5gcmZU5CFaIUEX5-Lx1JXPK7KNf5owwYKdaPq1JjmBPF1yuurMCZH19RxMBImRbbjOzTDs-Rn0jkAb2iOdcwT9cjOlbUT8SbvdNNyw8lPqHWl7-cbITC/s640/aarhus+8.jpg" title="aarhus-architecture" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">Warnemünde</span>, Germany</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Tallinn, Estonia</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>St. Petersburg, Russia</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Helsinki, Finland</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Stockholm, Sweden</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7VGXgfe2MQXu9QsTAKUj3C-FeMmuAJqy24c6ImTXhi2jK9lGm93Fm5s-A6kaWVyZJTajvf6hmj0jzeS5YFKRUP4PsCeO01MrD4twb13ee3nS6ht2_xcULltNpIEBxXnMMJSFgyAk_yDN/s1600/stockholm+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="stockholm-gamlastan" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7VGXgfe2MQXu9QsTAKUj3C-FeMmuAJqy24c6ImTXhi2jK9lGm93Fm5s-A6kaWVyZJTajvf6hmj0jzeS5YFKRUP4PsCeO01MrD4twb13ee3nS6ht2_xcULltNpIEBxXnMMJSFgyAk_yDN/s640/stockholm+9.jpg" title="stockholm-sweden-street" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Copenhagen, Denmark</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIy-R6LQYiZ2Dcwd9F5_lH762xjU50Z3n8v-KOkWdVvqZE0GpaiN8NJPp5IY3rMebrRc5xgBG7jJ3TFtBVPz0z0KjjjrOwNuviAUJ7owSidOy15o3SofpOimF_fxeGPyoSKWFY9NJCrZi/s1600/copenhagen+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="nyhavn-buildings-copenhagen" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIy-R6LQYiZ2Dcwd9F5_lH762xjU50Z3n8v-KOkWdVvqZE0GpaiN8NJPp5IY3rMebrRc5xgBG7jJ3TFtBVPz0z0KjjjrOwNuviAUJ7owSidOy15o3SofpOimF_fxeGPyoSKWFY9NJCrZi/s640/copenhagen+8.jpg" title="nyhavn-copenhagen" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYdzx_kDaGx8MbgZ-zhHi-S-S8bRIgcjq5R88KOHtBielmhtQQCPpHV1zLUstF8S9D8Q7VHg9gOb92oWgwNAn4RtK1VlYpejmoa5UI-ySVSMu_LdLRRRgQZ3ijz0u-11dnERsLWcnoOvX/s1600/copenhagen+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="copenhagen-church" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYdzx_kDaGx8MbgZ-zhHi-S-S8bRIgcjq5R88KOHtBielmhtQQCPpHV1zLUstF8S9D8Q7VHg9gOb92oWgwNAn4RtK1VlYpejmoa5UI-ySVSMu_LdLRRRgQZ3ijz0u-11dnERsLWcnoOvX/s640/copenhagen+10.jpg" title="copenhagen-cathedral" width="478" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Please tell me which photo you like the most. And have you traveled to some of these places? What was your experience?</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com7Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000125.0329694 121.56541770000001 25.0329694 121.56541770000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-65645921563732343522015-09-12T11:56:00.000+08:002015-09-12T11:56:03.573+08:00A European Summer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This summer, The Husband and I decided to explore more of Europe. I've always been fascinated by Scandinavia, I've always wanted to "go back to my roots" in Holland and I've always wondered about the history and culture in Russia. After much consideration, we decided to spend four nights in Amsterdam, followed by an 11-day Baltic cruise and end our trip with three nights in Copenhagen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm still trying to process everything I've seen; 9 cities in 8 countries in 19 days. To be honest, it's all still a big blur of colorful facades, cobblestone streets, fantastic ceilings and majestic cathedrals. I took so many photos that I couldn't choose just a few to add to this post. So I've decided to post a separate photo diary which I'll be sharing with you in the next few days once I've sorted through my favorites.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Amsterdam was our first stop and it was everything I thought it would be, and more! Absolutely beautiful, bustling with bikes, people and trams, perfect summer temperatures and oh-so-good food. I immediately felt at home because I could understand everything; I can't speak Dutch, but I can understand and read it, because it's so similar to my native tongue, Afrikaans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our four days there were jam packed. We walked everywhere (the city is actually quite small) which gave us plenty of opportunities to take pictures and "take everything in". We went on a cruise of the canals (wonderful and relaxing!), ate way too many <i>stroopwafels</i> and <i>pannekoeken</i> (absolutely delicious!), visited the <i>Van Gogh Museum</i>, <i>The Royal Palace</i> and the <i>Rijksmuseum</i> (stunning!) and visited the <i>Red Light District</i> (somewhat awkward). We also went shopping on <i>Kalverstraat</i> and had a picnic in <i>Vondelpark</i> with our friends from Germany who decided to join us for a day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In general, I absolutely loved Amsterdam. I wish we had more time to see more of The Netherlands, hopefully one day! I felt an affinity with the locals, maybe because I understood the language, or maybe it was my Dutch ancestry. I'm not sure, but I could definitely see myself living there. By the way, we stayed in a wonderful <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6417719" target="_blank">Airbnb apartment</a>, I highly recommend it. It was right by <i>Museumplein</i> on a quiet street, walking distance to the city center, and spacious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After our four days in Amsterdam, we hopped on a plane to Copenhagen, where we boarded the <i><a href="http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/gp/" target="_blank">Regal Princess</a></i> for our 11-day Scandinavia & Russia cruise. We were so happy that two of our best friends from Taiwan decided to join us. They were the perfect travel partners and we loved sharing this incredible journey with them. During our cruise, we visited six countries; Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Russia, Finland and Sweden.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I could go into detail about each country, but this post would become a short story. Overall, I enjoyed visiting each place, as each had their own vibe. I loved the architecture in these countries (especially in the older parts of the cities), and learning about their history. Highlights for me were exploring the beautiful Old Town of Tallinn in Estonia and <i>Gamla Stan</i> in Stockholm, seeing <i>Peterhof</i>, the incredible <i>Hermitage</i> <i>Museum</i>, and going inside <i>The Church of The Saviour on Spilled Blood</i> in St. Petersburg, Russia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Of course, our time on the <i>Regal Princess</i> was fantastic! (We've cruised with <i>Princess</i> before when we cruised the <a href="http://www.pretty-random-things.com/2012/08/the-best-vacation-ever-well-so-far.html" target="_blank">Mediterranean in 2012</a>). The ship is huge and offers so many activities, we couldn't even do all of it. We really enjoyed the evening shows, the endless buffets and meeting wonderful people from all over the world. We had a blast!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We ended off our trip with three days in Copenhagen, Denmark. Again, we were lucky to have perfect weather with not a cloud in the sky. We spent our days there exploring the city, visiting the famous sites like <i>The Little Mermaid</i> statue and all the palaces. We also strolled around the colorful <i>Nyhavn</i> and climb to the top of <i>The Church of Our Savior</i> for a magnificent view of Copenhagen. We went shopping on<i> </i></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Strøget </i>and also visited <i>Freetown Christiana</i>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This trip really exceeded my expectations and I'm so happy we decided to see these countries for ourselves. Also, I got to celebrate my 30th birthday while we were in Europe, which made it extra special. What a way to enter the next chapter of my life!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I hope each of you had a great summer, too. "<i>Where to next?</i>", you might be asking. I think we're done with traveling for 2015 (unless we make a quick spontaneous trip somewhere close to Taiwan), but next year we're planning on visiting Dubai and the States again to spend time with our families, which I'm beyond excited for!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Have a great weekend, friends!</span></span></div>
Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com10Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-68289760603886914372015-09-02T16:25:00.002+08:002015-09-02T16:25:41.517+08:00What's on my Perfume Tray?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">How many bottles of perfume are too many bottles of perfume? The other day The Husband pointed out that my collection is getting a little bit out of hand (apart from this tray of current favorites, he sniffed out the rest of my not-so-secret stash from a not-so-secret cupboard..) So is there such a thing? For me, NEVER!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UcuQ3tIRQSHi285hGqogWMR3V-GqTuBtN4uA4WVA4srBeFMQnBgiTt8r7V5TpxKfzyOxH0RdV6EC3b1krWkYxvKpJewYCg0c_mWtktIujA_-Rawa3uLZfQt3CPRfZKZDNVOn2wt0wvfQ/s1600/11417470_1642718509307302_2085947746_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="diptyque-perfume" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UcuQ3tIRQSHi285hGqogWMR3V-GqTuBtN4uA4WVA4srBeFMQnBgiTt8r7V5TpxKfzyOxH0RdV6EC3b1krWkYxvKpJewYCg0c_mWtktIujA_-Rawa3uLZfQt3CPRfZKZDNVOn2wt0wvfQ/s640/11417470_1642718509307302_2085947746_n.jpg" title="diptyque-florabellio" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Currently, these perfumes from <b><a href="http://bit.ly/1O7yRTk" target="_blank">Jo Malone</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.1010apothecary.com.tw/brand.php?id=4" target="_blank">Diptyque</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.1010apothecary.com.tw/brand.php?id=86" target="_blank">Byredo</a></b> have been on high rotation. It may sound silly, but each of these makes me feel a different way. Maybe it's because of the memory it evokes and how I felt at the time when I used it often, I'm not sure.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEP7AqgAPTuGzXz-RAX5AtoqksEbQSHG-CFf9kUzBHTwBBrGUVoddrcd4rTlbK6gNJY7KjsYnL4mTDJfLy3jpa7Y5aDAubzRoj0ZxIvXlPIsVcMplQOPowZBijiYOiR8-bbdl5YRYtwr4e/s1600/10894987_1104433072917248_798686006_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="byredo-taiwan" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEP7AqgAPTuGzXz-RAX5AtoqksEbQSHG-CFf9kUzBHTwBBrGUVoddrcd4rTlbK6gNJY7KjsYnL4mTDJfLy3jpa7Y5aDAubzRoj0ZxIvXlPIsVcMplQOPowZBijiYOiR8-bbdl5YRYtwr4e/s640/10894987_1104433072917248_798686006_n.jpg" title="byredo-taiwan" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Before we went on our trip to Europe, I was thinking about which perfume to take with me. It may sound like an absurd thing to actually spend time thinking about, but I knew that I'd remember our trip every time I used that perfume again in the future; just like I think about my wedding and the days we spent in South Africa when I smell <b><a href="http://www.1010apothecary.com.tw/brand.php?id=4" target="_blank">Diptyque</a></b>'s <i>Do Son</i>, or our trip to Paris when I smell <b><a href="http://bit.ly/1O7yRTk" target="_blank">Jo Malone</a></b>'s <i>Osmanthus Blossom, </i>or my mom when I smell <b>Estee Lauder</b>'s <i>Pleasures.</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mYdpnVvnAmopkV0S0seuIrIPnRm3UuKoqHkrkPAO7JqD4OvGfUdL5sjB08ZYJ6n0pV1uUKg9ece-sv5IyCxD01yTRkfxbndUC4JVaCvkkcuGTyXjhB1uEMiXdTrlhjPW4uFEGefAgxR_/s1600/11372381_832154713565425_802734583_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="byredo-taiwan" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mYdpnVvnAmopkV0S0seuIrIPnRm3UuKoqHkrkPAO7JqD4OvGfUdL5sjB08ZYJ6n0pV1uUKg9ece-sv5IyCxD01yTRkfxbndUC4JVaCvkkcuGTyXjhB1uEMiXdTrlhjPW4uFEGefAgxR_/s640/11372381_832154713565425_802734583_n.jpg" title="byredo-taiwan" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, I went to my favorite beauty and fragrance store here in Taipei, </span><a href="http://www.1010apothecary.com.tw/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">10/10 Apothecary</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, to sniff around their </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.1010apothecary.com.tw/brand.php?id=4" target="_blank">Diptyque</a></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> and </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.1010apothecary.com.tw/brand.php?id=86" target="_blank">Byredo</a></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> collections. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I knew I'd find something perfect from these collections, as I already adore </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Florabellio</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> and </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Do Son</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> from </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.1010apothecary.com.tw/brand.php?id=4" target="_blank">Diptyque</a></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> and </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Blanche</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> from </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.1010apothecary.com.tw/brand.php?id=86" target="_blank">Byredo</a></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. And I did! The shop assistant suggested I try <i>Gypsy Water</i> and I fell in love with it! I used it every day while we were traveling, and I know that for years to come, this fragrance will evoke my Summer in Europe memories. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoqdAi8yxyALR2irg-uXUXYI9dr8TOUTWIesovBhvYYwSf9LfYsHn4a7ssus4BCeHgPLlBsWDNowUl3LBWcWulrgQAEwZc63dYLGEcDRV_yv8pz_OUfFMsnaUYm8nqieenwnl13p7byXt/s1600/10932595_449149665246787_331768139_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="diptyque-taiwan" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoqdAi8yxyALR2irg-uXUXYI9dr8TOUTWIesovBhvYYwSf9LfYsHn4a7ssus4BCeHgPLlBsWDNowUl3LBWcWulrgQAEwZc63dYLGEcDRV_yv8pz_OUfFMsnaUYm8nqieenwnl13p7byXt/s640/10932595_449149665246787_331768139_n.jpg" title="1010apothecary" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Diptyque </b>collection at <b><a href="http://www.1010apothecary.com.tw/" target="_blank">10/10 Apothecary</a></b> in Taipei</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So yes, I might have quite a few bottles of perfume, but they each represent a place, a person and even a certain feeling. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xR0EGBEDqnb9oZZpXfkxgSq3w3OcZUKZ-7t2uYVgC1kIRvPCjmaJgSnM8E9lSmoakMcq6ksa5dSzxLexuC_EBe2UNNCsH3cw9d9RTTEXWoMYRXiZGi5DaNxhKFymAidK0Lv0wQuJuOND/s1600/11372108_1517886141860221_1190105181_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="byredo-blanche" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xR0EGBEDqnb9oZZpXfkxgSq3w3OcZUKZ-7t2uYVgC1kIRvPCjmaJgSnM8E9lSmoakMcq6ksa5dSzxLexuC_EBe2UNNCsH3cw9d9RTTEXWoMYRXiZGi5DaNxhKFymAidK0Lv0wQuJuOND/s640/11372108_1517886141860221_1190105181_n.jpg" title="byredo-blanche" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Do you remember specific places or people when you get a whiff of a certain fragrance? Or is it just me?</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com19Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-14297091347490244792015-08-28T16:57:00.000+08:002016-06-07T15:54:43.777+08:00A Dash of Detail<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After traveling in Europe for three weeks I'm back in Taipei, rested and ready to get back in the swing of things. If you follow me on <a href="http://instagram.com/_liesl_" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, you'll know that we had a jam-packed Eurotrip, and if you were wondering if I'd be writing about our travels, the answer is YES, of course! And it will be up on the blog, soon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Today I wanted to share with you a <a href="https://www.stylewe.com/" target="_blank">cute outfit</a> idea I had for Autumn, which is slowly but surely creeping up on us. (Although here in Taiwan we'll probably just go straight from a very humid Summer to a cool Winter some time around November).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've been absolutely obsessed with these lace-up flats, and I've been having a lot of fun creating different <a href="https://www.stylewe.com/designer/anastasiia-ivanova-85" target="_blank">outfits</a> to wear it with. I saw these <a href="http://goo.gl/hgtGo2" target="_blank">pretty black shorts</a> on <a href="http://goo.gl/hgtGo2" target="_blank"><b>SheIn</b></a>, and fell in love with the lacy detail. For this look I just added an oversized sweater, my beloved <b>Daniel Wellington</b> watch, and voila! Let me know what you think.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1M5YDNHBAQi_Skf0YDTLezrCLHRVPXTtAz9ZJIbNdRFQUUdKVPzSOKkRbcuX15DpO08g9xGZ0YR7I9xuDAighiQ5fBD6h8Lt6WLbPk68KWQThrxP4c-jIz0ViazRLc49k2WwFZLEVL3Ii/s1600/IMG_0209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="lace-up-flats" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1M5YDNHBAQi_Skf0YDTLezrCLHRVPXTtAz9ZJIbNdRFQUUdKVPzSOKkRbcuX15DpO08g9xGZ0YR7I9xuDAighiQ5fBD6h8Lt6WLbPk68KWQThrxP4c-jIz0ViazRLc49k2WwFZLEVL3Ii/s640/IMG_0209.JPG" title="lace-shorts" width="512" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_14QBurRJW3iFw-KJ9GEt41nN6DaskD_svZKfzSJTZdDbyJNSev4JUSdz8WqgcwxMLgLqGjy4yBLywxp0qOpLD3bRuDyIS_hmgdxj1frvTw9Z_6Ytaqub2pzUpn0AaVTy5yNNHUCsVcle/s1600/IMG_0207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="lace-shorts" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_14QBurRJW3iFw-KJ9GEt41nN6DaskD_svZKfzSJTZdDbyJNSev4JUSdz8WqgcwxMLgLqGjy4yBLywxp0qOpLD3bRuDyIS_hmgdxj1frvTw9Z_6Ytaqub2pzUpn0AaVTy5yNNHUCsVcle/s640/IMG_0207.JPG" title="black-lace-shorts" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6m32hKnqgeCdeUybplVzFJlM-J522SIe12Zdww2KnnrZ1zTW8HZb3YizzMFHhyHG8pqvpiLixTcdRelnODWYYKEA7MpUjc5bvNV6PxQ6X4OeQ0Rr5DkN51Syc9h1Jf6od5WSuy_NIaL89/s1600/IMG_0208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="monochrome-outfit" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6m32hKnqgeCdeUybplVzFJlM-J522SIe12Zdww2KnnrZ1zTW8HZb3YizzMFHhyHG8pqvpiLixTcdRelnODWYYKEA7MpUjc5bvNV6PxQ6X4OeQ0Rr5DkN51Syc9h1Jf6od5WSuy_NIaL89/s640/IMG_0208.JPG" title="fall-outfit" width="512" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Shorts: <b>SheIn</b> (<a href="http://goo.gl/hgtGo2" target="_blank">here</a>) Psst... they are only <a href="http://goo.gl/hgtGo2" target="_blank">$11.40</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Shoes: <b>Topshop</b> (<a href="http://bit.ly/1JpM2hi" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Watch: <b>Daniel Wellington</b> (<a href="http://bit.ly/1JBpYBx" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sweater: <b>Zara</b> (<a href="http://www.zara.com/us/en/woman/knitwear-c269190.html" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Who else is excited for the cooler months to come?</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com13Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-82692627948589440912015-07-20T10:59:00.003+08:002015-07-21T13:50:41.218+08:00New In: Sudio Sweden KLANG Earphones<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfj8c20zQHPpxGiwonbmCZYTpJfBsEa7RZ_VYoqERaiO4Uo14QSi-C3Yn00foPYk-pILU-i_HKHq0T2ix1U-93vVu_bKdkSNLyYsSwLszvTedxMuG0Sub8wSQmrSGosPj0fFBme3IF8t9L/s1600/sudio-earphones-klang-white.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sudio-klang-earphones" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfj8c20zQHPpxGiwonbmCZYTpJfBsEa7RZ_VYoqERaiO4Uo14QSi-C3Yn00foPYk-pILU-i_HKHq0T2ix1U-93vVu_bKdkSNLyYsSwLszvTedxMuG0Sub8wSQmrSGosPj0fFBme3IF8t9L/s640/sudio-earphones-klang-white.JPG" title="sudio-klang-earphones" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Stylish and minimal; my kinda product! But what else can you expect from a Swedish brand? For a while now I've been on the hunt for some new earphones and was drawn to these at first because, quite honestly, they looked good in pictures I saw on <a href="https://instagram.com/SudioSweden" target="_blank">Sudio Sweden's Instagram</a> account. (I'm not gonna lie, as an avid <a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">Instagrammer</a>, I do consider a products photogenic qualities before purchasing.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmkxBCNxaVe7Z1JGWIqDa3Ynyzu9okR0mJbieafX73Vky7bsYQlPWrVn8gfvaUQHesDB7Fldz0ydjUU0kjWn_Ht2TJEsJCRW0j2-OJTrhRZnD_yqWJcAyKEr7ifuxbLAbUkX9scqV5dnt/s1600/sudio-sweden-klang.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sudio-klang-earphones" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmkxBCNxaVe7Z1JGWIqDa3Ynyzu9okR0mJbieafX73Vky7bsYQlPWrVn8gfvaUQHesDB7Fldz0ydjUU0kjWn_Ht2TJEsJCRW0j2-OJTrhRZnD_yqWJcAyKEr7ifuxbLAbUkX9scqV5dnt/s640/sudio-sweden-klang.JPG" title="sudio-klang-earphones" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BZbkYcKgFF_xaX4uTEm5YenYpWzfPszyUFW1gwQnPTnsyjy9kG731_kDGHuZ5w9LCGIsqo0PauowfM1veU3LcMm69xJVUROTL3fiIHN_gjLaDBM6ZTJni5OMEuyKQDh03onzutaR56Za/s1600/sudio-sweden-earhpones.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="sudio-klang-earphones" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BZbkYcKgFF_xaX4uTEm5YenYpWzfPszyUFW1gwQnPTnsyjy9kG731_kDGHuZ5w9LCGIsqo0PauowfM1veU3LcMm69xJVUROTL3fiIHN_gjLaDBM6ZTJni5OMEuyKQDh03onzutaR56Za/s640/sudio-sweden-earhpones.JPG" title="sudio-klang-earphones" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I chose the <a href="http://www.sudiosweden.com/en/earphones" target="_blank">Sudio KLANG earphones</a> in white (they also come in black, orange and brown) and they were shipped all the way from Sweden to my doorstep in Taiwan. (They offer free international shipping!). I was very pleased to find that, not only does the earphones look great, the sounds quality is fantastic and it drowns out other noises very well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The earphones come with a very handy leather pouch, which I like, because my earphones usually just get thrown in my bag and will be a disgusting off white yellowish shade after just a few days. Also, you get four extra sizes of sleeves to make sure you get the perfect fit, especially perfect for runners who find that their earphones keep slipping out. Another extra you get is a little clip for the cord to attach to your shirt. Very useful!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkwsH5QHa_CGiiO1t2KwEObnMGoFMcp0Fe-Cjb22Q0v32RbdzcZZIx3FElAQcAX-l4YCmfiSNhrilbJiMiGa3Gv37LwMH15PVaFA6W6sD5f7bT0mvdR94GyAVd1Hkz8TPn3-HstwioZD3/s1600/sudio-sweden.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sudio-klang-earphones" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkwsH5QHa_CGiiO1t2KwEObnMGoFMcp0Fe-Cjb22Q0v32RbdzcZZIx3FElAQcAX-l4YCmfiSNhrilbJiMiGa3Gv37LwMH15PVaFA6W6sD5f7bT0mvdR94GyAVd1Hkz8TPn3-HstwioZD3/s640/sudio-sweden.JPG" title="sudio-klang-earphones" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Attached to the cord is a 3-button remote to control the volume or to pause music and answer calls. I tried the earphones on my iPhones 6Plus and iPod and it worked perfectly. I'm so impressed with these earphones and I would definitely recommend them to friends looking for a new pair of quality, affordable (only <a href="http://www.sudiosweden.com/en/earphones/klang-white" target="_blank">$60</a>!) and sleek earphones.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So what do you think of the <a href="http://www.sudiosweden.com/en/earphones/klang-white" target="_blank">Sudio KLANG earphones</a>? Which color would you get them in? If you're interested in getting a pair of your own, use my special promo code <b><u><span style="font-size: large;">LIESL15</span></u> </b>at checkout to receive <span style="font-size: large;">15% off</span> your order!</span></div>
Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com20Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-68275120883913747042015-07-18T09:02:00.000+08:002015-07-26T10:41:40.279+08:00Affordable Summer Dresses + GIVEAWAY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVzwACdy3ETLmudA6tDeGdnVV2gky7HD3oD3dUxzHnCNum9-IROoI272Dhp8EVxVxH2p4XGg42zNQw6DsryLg5QUi5ApBYJ9igYrvFphe_8Q3GAb-FcEGF6catrUZA0vv5Lp_q9WSlDVC/s1600/Cheap-Summer-Dresses.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVzwACdy3ETLmudA6tDeGdnVV2gky7HD3oD3dUxzHnCNum9-IROoI272Dhp8EVxVxH2p4XGg42zNQw6DsryLg5QUi5ApBYJ9igYrvFphe_8Q3GAb-FcEGF6catrUZA0vv5Lp_q9WSlDVC/s1600/Cheap-Summer-Dresses.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://goo.gl/fpAGXp" target="_blank"><b>SheIn</b> Summer Dresses</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">*** GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The <a href="http://www.shein.com/women-dresses-c-1727.html?utm_source=pretty-random-things.com&utm_medium=blogger&url_from=pretty-random-things" target="_blank">SheIn</a> Summer Dress <u>WINNER</u> is </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">FRANCESCA FURLAN</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With our Summer travels to Europe glistening on the horizon, I've been on the lookout for some new, affordable summer dresses to take along with me. Not that I don't already have plenty to choose from in my closet... but... for some reason I just feel like I need some new items for our trip. You know what I mean?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Not wanting to spend a fortune on some darling dresses, I turned to <b><a href="http://goo.gl/fpAGXp" target="_blank">SheIn.com</a></b>, one of my favorite budget-friendly online shopping sites, to find some pretty pieces for our trip. I ended up choosing a few of my faves. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <a href="http://goo.gl/HsCRt2" target="_blank">Red Off the Shoulder Ruffle Dress</a> ($14.29)</span><br />
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- <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/xyquUt" target="_blank">White Spaghetti Strap with Lace Dress</a> ($18.99)</span><br />
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- <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/l6dLsJ" target="_blank">White Sleeveless with Lace Dress</a> ($18.99)</span><br />
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- <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://goo.gl/MfCuiq" target="_blank">Navy Spaghetti Strap Asymmetrical Shift Dress</a> ($12.67)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What do you think? I like that they are all effortless and simple; easy to accessorize and/or add a denim jacket. Also, the best part, they are all under $20. Yep, you heard that right! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To celebrate Summer, and the fact that life is good in general, I'm going to throw in an impromptu giveaway in this post. <b>One of you will be getting <u>a dress of your choice from <a href="http://goo.gl/fpAGXp" target="_blank">SheIn.com</a> to the value of $30.</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'll be hosting this giveaway through <i>Rafflecopter</i>, so please follow the easy steps to enter: </span><br />
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="57582ee74" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/57582ee74/" id="rcwidget_a28i4o29" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The <b>giveaway ends on July 25th, 2015</b> and the winner will be announced within 24 hours after that here on <b>Pretty.Random.Things.</b>, and also on the <b>Pretty.Random.Things. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PrettyRandomThings?ref=bookmarks" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you have any questions regarding the giveaway, please feel free to email me at <b>liesl@pretty-random-things.com </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Good luck, and HAPPY SUMMER!</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com41Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-40947164918602336362015-07-09T16:13:00.002+08:002015-07-09T16:13:45.799+08:00Yay for Summer!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My Summer vacation officially starts tomorrow! Well, kind of... I'm only leaving for Europe in August, but tomorrow I'll be teaching my last classes and then I'm basically free as a bird for a month and a half! I'm super excited for our travels ahead and just know it's going to be one of the best Summers ever!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yesterday I saw that one of my most loved swimwear designers, <a href="http://bit.ly/1Hhp1fm" target="_blank">Marysia Swim</a>, is having a contest where you can win a $1000 gift voucher to spend on their website. Uh, yes please! Check out their <a href="https://instagram.com/marysiaswim/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram account</a> for more details on how to enter, and hurry, the contest ends on Friday. Here is my entry, so cross your fingers!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My Summer Beach Essentials:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Follow me on <b>Instagram</b>, <a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">@_liesl_</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Bikini:</b> <a href="http://bit.ly/1LTCJbG" target="_blank">Marysia Swim</a></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hat:</b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <a href="http://bit.ly/1CqNYGB" target="_blank">J.Crew</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Sunglasses:</b><a href="http://bit.ly/1Hho4nk" target="_blank"> Illesteva</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Perfume:</b> <a href="http://bit.ly/1LTCWvs" target="_blank">Diptyque</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>What are you all up to this Summer, and what are some of your beach essentials?</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com8Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-34497692682148994582015-06-29T09:30:00.000+08:002015-06-29T09:31:41.463+08:00Girls in White Dresses<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have this thing with wearing white in Summer. And I'm not exaggerating when I confess that more than half of my closet consists of white pieces. I just can't get enough! What do you think about this <a href="http://www.rosegal.com/cute-dresses/sweet-spaghetti-strap-solid-color-166631.html" target="_blank">white crochet dress</a> I got from <a href="http://www.rosegal.com/" target="_blank"><b>RoseGal</b></a>?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u>Dress: </u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.rosegal.com/cute-dresses/sweet-spaghetti-strap-solid-color-166631.html" target="_blank">Crochet Flower dress from <b>RoseGal</b></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u>Watch: </u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bit.ly/1ylZzEr" target="_blank">Classic Sheffield Lady watch from <b>Daniel Wellington</b></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I feel especially girly in this dress, and I love the crochet detail at the bottom that gives it that little extra sumthin' sumthin'. Here I'm wearing it with my beloved <b>Daniel Wellington Classic Sheffield watch</b>, and I'd pair it with my favorite Summer sandals from <a href="http://bit.ly/1drvtFQ" target="_blank"><b>Joie</b> </a>when heading out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>What is your favorite color to wear in Summer?</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com4Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-84021349468094898322015-06-05T11:46:00.000+08:002015-06-05T11:46:13.220+08:00That Feeling...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">source</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Happy Friday, dear friends! Today is my mom's birthday (<b>HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAMMA!</b>) and while I was writing a "happy birthday" message to her this morning, I couldn't help but think back to my childhood, growing up in a small town and how wonderful and carefree it was. I'm beyond thankful for my wonderful parents and my crazy siblings, and I'm so blessed to have them in my life. <b>There's no feeling better than knowing that I have their unconditional love and support.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That also made me think of some of my other favorite feelings:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>That feeling when climbing into my bed after my evening bath or shower, and my bed was just made with clean, fresh white sheets. </b>I'm not sure why, but it must be a mix of scents from my body wash and laundry detergent. I once read that Oprah sleeps in NEW sheet every night. I feel ya, Oprah, I would too if I could!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>That feeling when I open the door to our apartment after a long day's work (or even just after I leave the house for 30 seconds to take the trash out) and my fur baby is all over me.</b> His kisses, cuddles and excitement to see me immediately eliminates any negative feelings I might have had that day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>That feeling when I've been walking a lot and finally get to take off my shoes and walk barefoot on soft grass.</b> Unfortunately I don't get to do this much in Taipei (unless I'm at the park), but when I'm at my parents' house in South Africa, I'm constantly outside in the yard just so that I can walk barefoot on the grass.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>That feeling when I'm traveling with The Husband and we finally wind down after a busy day of exploring to enjoy a gorgeous sunset together. </b>Preferably with a glass of good wine in hand!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>That feeling when I go back to South Africa to visit my family and I walk through the arrivals gate and see their smiling faces waiting there for me.</b> I believe that the Arrivals Hall of an airport is one of the happiest places on Earth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>That feeling when I give to someone and I just know how much it means to them. </b>"<i>There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.</i>" - Kahlil Gibran</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>That feeling after I've had a good workout, taken a shower and had a healthy breakfast, all before 10am on a Saturday morning.</b> I'm a morning person and this excites me way too much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>That feeling when I've been wanting to buy something online for a while and then suddenly it goes on sale and my size is available. </b>I love online shopping and I love a good deal even more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>That feeling when I'm getting my hair washed at the salon.</b> Oh, sweet mother of good feelings! And not only that, here in Taiwan it's standard for a salon to wash your hair extra long and give you a head and back massage. (Booking your flight to Taiwan as we speak?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>That feeling when I'm at my favorite Indian restaurant here in Taipei, and I take that first bite of butter naan, dipped in creamy butter chicken.</b> *<i>drooling uncontrollably right now</i>*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>That feeling when I have absolutely nothing to do, and nowhere to be, and I can lie on my couch, relax and get lost in a good book for hours. </b>Or in general, any time I have nothing that I have to do, or nowhere that I have to be. (I know all you introverts are nodding your head in agreement right now...)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>That feeling when I'm in a new country, learning about the culture and exploring interesting places with The Husband.</b> We have a serious case of <i>wanderlust</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>That feeling when I'm catching up with friends whom I haven't seen for months or years, and it feels just like the good old days, as if nothing has changed.</b> This is especially true of my friends back in South Africa. We grew up together and I miss them every day. I love that when we get to spend time together now, I'm only more convinced that our special bonds will never break.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>That feeling when I think about how lucky I am to have met the love of my life, and that he loves and appreciates me so much. </b>Really, what are the odds of meeting that person whom you want to spend every second of every day with, and who you just can't get enough of. I feel so blessed and grateful that I will have this wonderful person as my companion for the rest of my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Please share one of your favorite feelings. Happy Weekend!</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-20523944246422065432015-04-24T14:10:00.004+08:002015-04-24T14:10:24.319+08:00Pinning and 'Gramming<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGA873h9dteraTSJ3vLdWQOLlGQC9-_TEmkSBI3ZjHq9MuGzrp24Enmc0iu148ckKocT9U1BRmQgp8OHhBHwqdJcQ72wLIIVG4PwqCw7VOulZNex9jlfg8IcxLXWDXWlzjZOZLtOHmwB_o/s1600/instagram.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGA873h9dteraTSJ3vLdWQOLlGQC9-_TEmkSBI3ZjHq9MuGzrp24Enmc0iu148ckKocT9U1BRmQgp8OHhBHwqdJcQ72wLIIVG4PwqCw7VOulZNex9jlfg8IcxLXWDXWlzjZOZLtOHmwB_o/s1600/instagram.png" height="558" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">@_liesl_</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Don't worry, I'm still alive and kicking! I know things have been on the quiet side here on the blog, and I'm sorry. Unfortunately, <b>Pretty.Random.Things.</b> has been treated like the insignificant middle child lately when it comes to my online antics. I know we aren't supposed to have favorites, but recently <b><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/lieslpins/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></b> have gotten most of my attention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Over the past few months, I've grown really fond of <b><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></b>. At first it was just a fun platform to share pics of my travels, daily life, exciting purchases and pretty things I love, but it's become so much more than that. Now, it's all about the people! Among the millions of <b><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></b> users, I've found some of the most creative, exciting and inspirational people. I've made countless new online friends from around the world! It's so crazy and wonderful how I've met people on this photo sharing app whom I have so much in common with and would love to meet in real life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you want to keep up with me, better hop on over to my <b><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> </b>and/or <b><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/lieslpins/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></b>, because that's where you'll most likely find me pinning and 'gramming.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Happy Friday! Have a wonderful weekend.</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com6Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991240080158172254.post-19929204374496369072015-04-08T08:37:00.001+08:002015-04-08T08:37:20.512+08:00SHOPBOP Friends & Family 25% Off Event<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's here; the much anticipated biannual <a href="http://rstyle.me/ad/pk6bsy4w6" target="_blank">SHOPBOP 25% off event</a>! I get so excited about this because my <a href="http://rstyle.me/ad/pk6bsy4w6" target="_blank">SHOPBOP</a> wishlist is almost always jam packed with "things I NEED" and 25% off on <a href="http://rstyle.me/ad/pk6bsy4w6" target="_blank">SHOPBOP</a> is a huge deal! What better excuse to get some new Spring pieces!?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In case you were thinking: "<i>Where do I even start, Liesl!?</i>", let me share some of the items with you that I've purchased from <a href="http://rstyle.me/ad/pk6bsy4w6" target="_blank">SHOPBOP</a> recently that you can now get at a very nice discount. (Yep, I won't say I'm not a little bitter about that...)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">CALVIN KLEIN Modern Cotton Underwear</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYLSnw3ysmwPRVXpZSlflBV89_HhiF1_3zDQeKHV1D3IvVoWe4yg8H5caKxjLxJ-J7tO_KvCOxtHODmWUJDAf7bYqe__eZMnl_JwoJ4iQUdHs6QVuMvtSXpOQTb1OXCFhLiX0Aqppe8WS/s1600/Calvin+Klein+underwear.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYLSnw3ysmwPRVXpZSlflBV89_HhiF1_3zDQeKHV1D3IvVoWe4yg8H5caKxjLxJ-J7tO_KvCOxtHODmWUJDAf7bYqe__eZMnl_JwoJ4iQUdHs6QVuMvtSXpOQTb1OXCFhLiX0Aqppe8WS/s1600/Calvin+Klein+underwear.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>CALVIN KLEIN</b> Modern Cotton underwear </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(<a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" target="_blank">photo source</a>)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">These </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Calvin Klein </b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">undies have been much sought after again after their very successful <b>#mycalvins</b> campaign from last year. I must say, it took me a while to get my hands on my size, but now that I have them, I'm so happy that I kept hunting, because they are super comfortable. I'm getting them in white and black, too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MARYSIA SWIM Scallop Bikinis</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGodgGBZOketq8HcBOio1XbQYcRKYmb6llpWY_Z4_RA0UZhouf3Xty9tS4mN7htcm3XALxq2PAVWBJDEmgVTPItKfS09S6-2zJxqsqsyXFUDf8LgrQ45TkxDni3GfkxAQDC4Tb_RQgMBL/s1600/marysia+swim+scallop+bikini+set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGodgGBZOketq8HcBOio1XbQYcRKYmb6llpWY_Z4_RA0UZhouf3Xty9tS4mN7htcm3XALxq2PAVWBJDEmgVTPItKfS09S6-2zJxqsqsyXFUDf8LgrQ45TkxDni3GfkxAQDC4Tb_RQgMBL/s1600/marysia+swim+scallop+bikini+set.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>MARYSIA SWIM</b> Broadway bikini </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(</span><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;" target="_blank">photo source</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6L26fbiNn4A3N4i9_GmD4lxsJJWOErPYI7NpYfJajKIg80vkB-4o7ZvHdLVLnepFAqkjxz4nO4acTrmCAqsvXhfsiR62-wXEBAqc-8XlPvm2Dne9bWONKPEYgpUES5PxYgK1m-1wTwLdf/s1600/marysia+swim+scallop+bikini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6L26fbiNn4A3N4i9_GmD4lxsJJWOErPYI7NpYfJajKIg80vkB-4o7ZvHdLVLnepFAqkjxz4nO4acTrmCAqsvXhfsiR62-wXEBAqc-8XlPvm2Dne9bWONKPEYgpUES5PxYgK1m-1wTwLdf/s1600/marysia+swim+scallop+bikini.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>MARYSIA SWIM</b> Antibes bikini </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(</span><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;" target="_blank">photo source</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ever since I saw these beautiful bikinis I were obsessed with them; so simple, yet so special. They do not come cheap though, and I really had to convince The Husband why I "needed" them. At first I purchased the <i>Broadway</i> bikini (triangle with halter straps), but eventually also got the <i>Antibes</i> top (bandeau). I take such good care of these swimsuits and I can only hope they'll last me a few seasons. (Take note that these bikinis are tiny, so size up!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">SOLUDOS Espadrilles</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fEgyss60JJ7lQIhu0-1RstvdJj4wqRolp5srNyo1w5176s282xmE43ybIZVwKJrsKqLiBkEFvc6DN2lKTegHwSPENtx1ZPqAc3Hj2ltDFSeG_IgN0MDxB5t5D2t1pnSzIlkZ2RZ0SvN1/s1600/Soludos+espadrilles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fEgyss60JJ7lQIhu0-1RstvdJj4wqRolp5srNyo1w5176s282xmE43ybIZVwKJrsKqLiBkEFvc6DN2lKTegHwSPENtx1ZPqAc3Hj2ltDFSeG_IgN0MDxB5t5D2t1pnSzIlkZ2RZ0SvN1/s1600/Soludos+espadrilles.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(</span><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;" target="_blank">photo source</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJjCM1s1BRqMJSrqeyJGPC523sWGrtz7ogyqlPMhzyf-0lLCd7U_aAALBe8m_fHxLkkKepMCRUp3zKoAiOPjOlhSXr3zszU5Loy6hLuAOnSvhYWK-_OuGKLdkVmPG2Fdq_SCOFQNg5uFU/s1600/Soludos+woven+espadrilles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJjCM1s1BRqMJSrqeyJGPC523sWGrtz7ogyqlPMhzyf-0lLCd7U_aAALBe8m_fHxLkkKepMCRUp3zKoAiOPjOlhSXr3zszU5Loy6hLuAOnSvhYWK-_OuGKLdkVmPG2Fdq_SCOFQNg5uFU/s1600/Soludos+woven+espadrilles.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>SOLUDOS</b> Classic Espadrille Sandals </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(</span><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;" target="_blank">photo source</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I got these lace up espadrilles last summer, and I love their look. I wear them with shorts mostly, but I know they look cute with some rolled up jeans, too. They come in a few different colors on <a href="http://rstyle.me/ad/pk6bsy4w6" target="_blank">SHOPBOP</a> now and they are very affordable!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">SUPERGA Cotu Sneaker</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_SJtEYwSPY6ASV1hcljaY-Z7VEJYZUOG-jfE2s4xaQf1poHYpXe59aAWe1X8Rc1aJ4y1U72A1ZG7IyrHnVK4o0iskHlhtS7WrW5365YWRk8NixmziJurdyQKUquyWnbWQ-kIKKb9ye6F/s1600/superga+cotu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_SJtEYwSPY6ASV1hcljaY-Z7VEJYZUOG-jfE2s4xaQf1poHYpXe59aAWe1X8Rc1aJ4y1U72A1ZG7IyrHnVK4o0iskHlhtS7WrW5365YWRk8NixmziJurdyQKUquyWnbWQ-kIKKb9ye6F/s1600/superga+cotu.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(</span><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;" target="_blank">photo source</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuqbkSGT9LyXuKIA7t9P0wUxjS6kvV5L8i55ypqodecY57XqX2Iwd8aay_YVLrgWmxKgVjEPN6bRXAePxwX4vDlhBiOxYSY8s2iBGVO6Qgf5FGhy1RQIPXVEwtBD4bpdIklcWx9E_1PW0/s1600/superga+sneakers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuqbkSGT9LyXuKIA7t9P0wUxjS6kvV5L8i55ypqodecY57XqX2Iwd8aay_YVLrgWmxKgVjEPN6bRXAePxwX4vDlhBiOxYSY8s2iBGVO6Qgf5FGhy1RQIPXVEwtBD4bpdIklcWx9E_1PW0/s1600/superga+sneakers.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>SUPERGA</b> Cotu Classic Lace Up Sneaker </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(</span><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;" target="_blank">photo source</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I love the white sneaker/trainer trend and got these a few months ago. I've literally worn them to death and they desperately need a good cleaning. These come in MANY colors, and are very comfortable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">ASH Jalouse Suede Booties</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wA8y4yW4XKSDmWUhtF6LZb1UxA_Du2_4GQHrgHrlel8585Kxs40L_ppyxLLEV6AOyjq6-8edylCj9Gb6hn4xAQ6FPuuWCxao18571bai4LDwH0m4zI8N60c0Jp3m04Ne-4DnVhGrOCES/s1600/ash+jalouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wA8y4yW4XKSDmWUhtF6LZb1UxA_Du2_4GQHrgHrlel8585Kxs40L_ppyxLLEV6AOyjq6-8edylCj9Gb6hn4xAQ6FPuuWCxao18571bai4LDwH0m4zI8N60c0Jp3m04Ne-4DnVhGrOCES/s1600/ash+jalouse.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>ASH</b> Jalouse Suede Booties </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(</span><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;" target="_blank">photo source</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">These suede booties are perfect for evenings out and can also be worn with shorts or dresses. They are classic and I know I'm going to get years' worth of use out of them. I have them in black, too. I wish I could have gotten them at 25% off...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">ONE TEASPOON Bandits Denim Shorts</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjey_1LISFsWTPZJm1tR2lOLvW5s_qhYmFEnusYQ9FoK0oIslHrmDeYjl2HRUZim7Ahz4IHjCb62CUEk66nd1LFKm_2q3M6tNOIyD8HWTnjr0j6tI6ea4OtGqoAX07auOXOGalmoSKZqTAk/s1600/one+teaspoon+bandits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjey_1LISFsWTPZJm1tR2lOLvW5s_qhYmFEnusYQ9FoK0oIslHrmDeYjl2HRUZim7Ahz4IHjCb62CUEk66nd1LFKm_2q3M6tNOIyD8HWTnjr0j6tI6ea4OtGqoAX07auOXOGalmoSKZqTAk/s1600/one+teaspoon+bandits.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(</span><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;" target="_blank">photo source</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHnxZNLOOGxZxKNunSpW3uWj-cianSGG3tsdKcRZgZBOIC9fTo256aAT6yzKVtIo-EIJIcdn2fQZcdPsbBPeo6t0HxSCyR7ezmA5IivKuRcAtjHhdDsvzH-_c0GFEx9rri9Wv33RUnXPA/s1600/one+teaspoon+shorts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHnxZNLOOGxZxKNunSpW3uWj-cianSGG3tsdKcRZgZBOIC9fTo256aAT6yzKVtIo-EIJIcdn2fQZcdPsbBPeo6t0HxSCyR7ezmA5IivKuRcAtjHhdDsvzH-_c0GFEx9rri9Wv33RUnXPA/s1600/one+teaspoon+shorts.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>ONE TEASPOON</b> Hendrix Bandits Shorts </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(</span><a href="https://instagram.com/_liesl_/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;" target="_blank">photo source</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I got these iconic shorts in black, too, and even though they are super short, I still really like the look. They are ripped, baggy and totally perfect for beach days! Because of their intended bagginess, they do run somewhat large, so I'd suggest sizing down if you want a more fitted look.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To get 25% off your order, type in the code <b><span style="color: red;">SPRING25</span></b> at checkout. Even though <a href="http://rstyle.me/ad/pk6bsy4w6" target="_blank">SHOPBOP</a> offers free international shipping, there will be a small handling charge (about $10) and take into consideration your country's customs taxes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="http://rstyle.me/ad/pk6bsy4w6" target="_blank">SHOPBOP.com</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">***Unfortunately, some brands are excluded from this event***</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>3.1 Phillip Lim, Acne Studios, Alexander Wang, Birkenstock, Canada Goose, Gareth Pugh, Giambattista Valli, Herve Leger, Hunter, J. Mendel, Jason Wu, Jennifer Meyer, Jonathan Simkhai, Katie May, Kenzo, Maison Martin Margiela, MCM, Michele Watches, Monique Lhuillier, Moschino, MZ Wallace, Narciso Rodriguez, Nina Ricci, Rag & Bone, Rodarte, Salvatore Ferragamo, Stella McCartney Apparel, Stuart Weitzman, Suno, Tory Burch, Versace, Victoria Victoria Beckham, and What Goes Around Comes Around Vintage</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Happy Spring Shopping!</b></span></div>
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Lieslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703657454957275360noreply@blogger.com21Taipei, Taiwan25.0329694 121.5654177000000124.5725269 120.91997070000001 25.493411899999998 122.21086470000002