Japan – Niseko (Day 1-4)

Right, so…as a warning, ALL my travel posts will be pretty photo heavy, my apologies but really, IT’S ABOUT TRAVELING. What did you expect? 😛

ANNNND off we go.

Everyone said, when you go to Japan, you have to dress well, be fashionable, look cute.

I spent my first 4 days in Niseko-Mt. Hirafu, Hokkaido, dressed like this. #nofrostbite #thankyounorthface

And underneath all that layered goodness…like this…#ootd 😀

Largely because I spent the first 4 days doing my version of snowboarding…aka. falling/buttboarding. Good thing though is that after the first 2 days, I was making my way down Red slopes and doing little tricks while I was at it. Of course, I’m still much more comfortable on the bunny slope. 😛 Having a totally loveable Aussie instructor helps.

Oh. (If you don’t know snowboarding or hate wordy posts…skip to the pretty photos down below)

Here’s a story, my brother (by far the better, more confidant snowboarder) decides that it’ll be fun for us siblings to wander off for night riding…without instructors, just us. I’m game. So off we go, into the yonder. It was pretty fun, warmed up on the bunny hill then headed up the mountain on this chairlift, rocking in the wind…it was FREEZING. And the stupid thing went on for forever. Anyway, we make it to the top…brother goes “Right Jie (big sister in Mandarin), this way.” I’m like sure, now I’m at the top looking down…this slope had moguls…MASSIVE lumps of piled up snow, skiiers love ’em, some snowboarders too, but neither my brother nor I had the skill for it…

So, I’m standing there being all petrified and he starts yelling from about 1/5th down “NONONO, JIE NOT THIS WAY.” He unclips his board and hoofs it back up. Tells me to wait right there, with his unstrapped, unsecured board stuck edge first into the snow and runs to the map to check it out. Did I mention, it was night time, strong winds and we were on top of a mountain? Right, strong gust blew and his board flipped back on its side and started to glide down the slope with moguls….I freaked out, had to lunge for it and basically also nearly ended up following the board downhill. Never mind, got it under control.

He finds our actual path down, and we waddle off…it’s going good. Green slopes, little bit of red bits. #Doingmynoobthing

Then, we hit the crest of another slope that looks like another mean f@#$er. I stop. He notices and gestures vaguely to the side of the slope…”It’s easier by the sides Jie.” And he jets off down it. GREAT. I shuffle over to the sides, look down and nope, same freaking hill, same slope, same sheer-looking drop off. I must say, at this point…I’d already done about 9 hours total of ridding that day. I was tired, it was frigid, the wind was just GUSTING down hill and I had no feasible way down. So i basically sat down and bawled.

Yup. No idea how to get down, no idea how high back up it was to hike…no one around who wasn’t just swishing their expert butts downhill…

ANYWAY. Proud to say that after about 20 mins of just hating at my brother and cursing the wind. I got my little butt up, and off the sheer drop off point. It actually wasn’t that bad…I mean sure, I wasn’t exactly going down it gracefully BUT I WAS GOING. He was waiting for me at the bottom, unstrapped and ready to hike up. He thought I’d basically fallen off into the side and the trees. He was worried, I was pissed. We both made it back down the mountain and the rest of the night was uneventful (largely because I stayed at the bunny slopes :P).

Turns out. That was my first double black. HAH.

The terrible map reader and I.

That’s all the interesting tales I have from these 4 days…PHOTO TIME. Oh yes, it was basically a blizzard for the first day. You’ll see.

First Glimpse of Tokyo.

Our Accommodations – 2bdrms, 1 bath   http://holidayniseko.com/asuka

Niseko – Hanazono Pickup point

Trails in the blizzard – Day 1

Heading back up the Mountain – Day 2

Coming down the mountain – Day 2
Isn’t it beautiful?

Niseko – Grand Hirafu, Mt. Annupuri – Day 3

Mt. Yotei, Hokkaido aka. Hokkaido’s Mt. Fuji

None of the photos were photoshopped, with the exception of Mr Robothead, my brother. Photos here and for the rest of the trip are a mix of iphone shots and D90 photos. I’ll do another post for all the food adventures in Niseko. #supergreedy #foreverhungry

Snow in March

Being the bad bad bad blogger I am, these photos are from ~2 weeks ago…sigh, AND I still have my trip and shopping haul from Japan to get to…from December. I’m terrible. I’m sorry. 😛

ANYWAY, cellphone photos because I was rushing off to class and didn’t have time to set up the tripod and camera…deal with it.

Outfit Details

White Trench Coat: $70 USD – Old Navy

Brown Scarf: $3 USD – H&M

Black Tights: $10 USD – Korea

Boots: $160 USD – Uggs

And what I was wearing under that big, thick white coat.

Outfit Details:

Wine Coloured Sweater-Dress: $15 USD – H&M

And because I really love frolicking in snow…(and getting snow in my boots, hair, down my sweater etc. T.T) I ran out in the middle of class to play in the snow and spotted some mysterious winter creatures…

 

Sorry I looked so dishevelled…snow in the hair does something awful to it. Anyway, glad the whole multiple-feets-of-snow-overnight period is over with and I’m really looking forward to summer, and sandals and iced-drinks and maxi dresses and skirts 🙂 EXCITED.

Hopefully, my blogging gets more consistent. Thanks for reading. Stay warm, blessed and loved.

Eun ❤

Dine Out 2014 – Market by Jean-Georges

Dine Out started 11 years ago (this year being the 12th), for this year, we decided to try Market by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, located in the gorgeous, fancy Shangri-La hotel in downtown Vancouver. Market was the first foray by Vongerichten into the Vancouver market and he is THE only Michelin starred (he has 3) chief who cooks/has a restaurant in the city so THIS was a must-try for us when we saw the restaurant on the list, 3 courses for $38? DONE.

When we got there, the restaurant had set up a role of tables against the windows that looked out into Thurlow for Dine Out guests. Complimentary bread arrived, thick, dense and very chewable, no photos because SO and I were still busy chatting.

Since I was on the verge of a cold and he wasn’t feeling like alcohol, we just ordered water then got down to the very serious task of food selection.

We both chose to start with the Seared Gulf Shrimp with Butternut Squash, Ginger and Basil appetizer. It was PERFECT. Might even be my favourite portion of the entire meal. The shrimp were amazing, just perfect…tender and juicy and the meat had that springy taste to it, not over or under-cooked.

We followed this with Steelhead on creamy truffle mashed potatoes for me and Soy and Sweet Wine Lacquered Pork Cheek for him. Honestly, I preferred his main course over mine, the fish was normal though the potatoes were creamy and fluffy at the same time – redeeming the entire dish. His pork cheek was done superbly, very tender and richly flavoured. Looking at the photos, I’m reminded of how tiny the portion of fish was. TINY.

He ordered a side of Wild Mushrooms, they were a little sour for my tastes, he loved them.

We topped all these with dessert, Warm Chocolate Cake for me, Panna Cota for him. He described the Panna Cota as “good” and since he wouldn’t share, it think he actually thoroughly enjoyed it. He also happily proclaimed “It JIGGLES” (so it was properly gelatinous), the moment the plate arrived, reason #2345787 why I love him. ❤

Now according to some bloggers, Jean-Georges is rumoured to have been the one who invented THE Chocolate Lava Cake as a dessert, then again others say he merely brought it over to North American and made it popular. Whatever the case, the chocolate cake oozed with liquid chocolate the moment I cut into it, paired with Vanilla ice-cream I loved it. Had to hand it off to my SO after 2/3s of it though, too full.

All in all, I really enjoyed our dinner, service was pleasant and efficient, the atmosphere was cozy and warm and the food was just as good as hyped. Will go back for sure.

And I leave you all with me, midway through dinner and super happy. Xoxo Stay warm, full and happy.

Eun ❤

What I’m up to…

It’s been a while since a shopping haul, it’s not that I haven’t been shopping…(#impossible)…It’s just, well, I’ve been busy with school and work and life in general…and sorting out this pile hasn’t been a priority. BUT it’s ok, the photos will be done by tonight…So look for some hauls later this week 😀

 

 

All my love, (and thanks for sticking with me)

Eun ❤

Dolly Eye (aka EOS) Natural 3 Tone Lens (Grey)

So, it’s been a while eh? Been a tad busy, visited Japan for a little over 2 weeks…sorting through the photos right now, shoooould be up soon. I might create a separate page for my travels now, hopefully there’ll be more to come 🙂 #lovetravels #hatetraveling #tincansintheair

Anyway, here’s a quick blurb that’s been a long time coming, too long perhaps. General notes on this pair of lens? I quite love them, they’re really subtle and just a brilliant, almost natural color. People tend to think they’re my own eyes…which is obviously a total plus. Here’s a reminder of how Uniqso packed my lens and of course, a photo of the actual pair in their container under sunlight.

Just like the green pair, these have a beautiful starburst pattern of brown on the inner part, so it blends really well with my dark brown eyes.

Official Rating?

Design: 5/5

I really am in love with them, they’re a soft subtle grey. Very easy to wear and goes with everything. Probably my go-to pair of lens.

Enlargement: 3/5

Not really enlarging. But I was looking for a more natural look anyway, so perfect for those who don’t want too much enlargement. Just like the other pair, they look perfectly natural and quite gorgeous without makeup. They look just great with makeup too 😛

Comfort: 5/5

They don’t feel that different from my normal Bausch and Lomb or Acuvue (I find these much more comfortable than B&L) lens, a tad drier but that’s to be expected. Like all circle lens, takes a while after placing in the eye for the eye to get used to it. For some reason, this pair fits much better than the green one. Weird eh? Maybe I’m just crazy.

And here’s the photos of them in my eyes, indoors, sunlight and with flash…just a tad of makeup 🙂

And lastly, here’s a photo of me wearing ’em.

Last Glimpse of Autumn

For my last Autumn OOTD mini pictorial. I decided to go red, and as always with me, COMFY. And this time, it was cold enough to put on a  proper coat as well.

Outfit Details

Beige Trenchcoat: $39 USD – Old Navy

Brown Wool Scarf: $5 USD – H&M

Red Cable Knit Sweater: $8.99 USD – Old Navy

Black Bandage Skirt: $5 USD – Urban Behaviour

Black Tights: $10 USD – Korea

Brown Heeled Oxfords: $39.90 USD- American Eagle

Accessories

Studded Ring: $2 USD – Suzy Shier

Purse: Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM Damier Ebene

And, a little extra. As always. Happy Fall…..I miss you already.

Stay blessed and loved. Till next time. Xoxo

Little Cold Months Haul

Where did my summer go? And while I’m asking that, where did fall go? Vancouver has been cold, rainy, foggy and just not a very hospitable place for the poor terrified-of-cold people like me…OH WELL. Time to bundle up and overspend on heating bills.

To help battle the chills, I went shopping for warm, fall/wintery stuff…and here we go.

From Old Navy

Cable knit Sweaters – $12.99 USD each (Down from $34.99 for in-store promotions)

PJ/Lounge Pants – $2.99 USD each (Down from $14.99 for in-store promotion)

I LOVE OWLS…so that one’s mine and the other’s for mum =)

Tank tops – 2 for $10 USD

Buy of the Haul: Sweater Maxi Dress – $9.99 (Was a returned online-only item, so marked down from $39.99, plus 50% off, no flaws :D)

Okay, let me  pause right here and say I love maxi dresses, love ’em. Comfy and no worries about going up and down escalators. PERFECT. So this dress is my new jet-setting outfit 😀 YAY~

I have more stuff from Old Navy and more from other stores from Black Friday Sales…BUT those will have to wait….I’m off on a winter vacation….Will talk more about it in the next few posts 🙂

Fall Photoshoot

Okay, tbh…this was supposed to be another OOTD shot over the weekend, but my camera(wo)man, my mum and I both got way too distracted by the pretty autumn leaves and well, it turned into more of a general fall photo session than a proper OOTD…but I thought I’d share anyway 😛

Do forgive the awkward smiles and the squinted eyes…it was close to sunset and the sun was both low on the horizon and shining right at us… ❤

AND PHOTOS…

Outfit Details

White Military Styled Blazer: $8 USD – Thailand Market

Blue Mesh-Topped Dress: $12 USD – Singapore, Orchard Road

Black Tights: $10 USD – Korea

Brown Heeled Oxfords: $39.90 USD- American Eagle

And seen below (lens are Dolly Eye Natural 3 tone Green from Uniqso)

Earrings: $1 USD – Thailand Market

Necklace: ? – Gift from Aunt

Sorry about the useless face photo, I really liked how I looked that day… :X #shamelesslyvain

Sigh, I love Fall, have I said that yet? Haha. I can totally wait for Winter though, I hate the rain…hate.

=(

Oh well, enjoy the rest of the season ❤

And stay loved, warm and blessed xoxo

PS. A little extra, I took this shot and loved it. So it’s on instagram and I’ll just paste it here too…why not? It’s MY blog after all >.>

Dolly Eye (aka EOS) Natural 3 Tone Lens (Green)

Let’s get it out of the way, completely unpaid/unsponsored/unbiased/uneverything review about Uniqso, I purchased these lenses on my own. Well technically, a friend got them for me after losing a bet. But, semantics.

Now, let’s start with the packaging.

Nice big envelope and it has bubble-wrap on the inside for cushioning and security, so everything will arrive nice and safe and intact, and everything DID arrive safe and intact within 2 weeks. Must say I was both pleased and surprised at the speed. And inside the envelope…

I must say, I love the little boxes they gave, they’re so cute and delicate looking. Also remember to ask for the animal lens cases when you order, I forgot to do that and ended up with normal cases. But that’s alright, upside is, I can see the lenses when they’re inside soaking. #alwayslookonthebrightside 🙂

And now on to the first pair of lens I bought, Dolly Eye Natural 3 Tone Lens in Green. I have so many things to say about these, but well, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Just look at them, the green is just so vivid and yet balanced out by the little light brown starburst design in the middle that really helps them blend into darker eyes. Speaking of blending into my eyes…here they are on.

Official Rating?

Design: 5/5

I really am in love with them, most times, they look like a really green teal/turquoise colour. Which was precisely what I was looking for.

Enlargement: 3/5

Not really enlarging. But I was looking for a more natural look anyway, so perfect for those who don’t want too much enlargement. Btw, in the photos, I’m not wearing a scrap of eye makeup and they still look pretty. And generally speaking, they look perfectly natural and quite gorgeous without makeup.

Comfort: 4/5

They don’t feel that different from my normal Bausch and Lomb lens, a tad drier but that’s to be expected. It’s a little strange though (and you can see what I mean in the flash photo), they don’t quite fit right and the hole that’s supposed to lie directly on top of my pupil isn’t quite aligned. But this could just easily be a “my eyes are weird” thing.

All in all, I’m really really pleased with these and Uniqso’s service. Great customer service, super efficient, and the lens are so pretty. Three more lens posts coming up 😛

Man, I’m having so much fun with the colours.

Anyway, just a couple more pics for fun

Dolly Eye Natural 3 tones – Green, outside in natural light, no filters, no makeup

Dolly Eye Natural 3 Tones – Green, indoors, diffused fluorescent light and super-filtered

XoXo, off to class I go, stay loved and warm and blessed ❤

Fallin’ for Lace

IT’S FALL…OFFICIALLY FALL.

The leaves are orange and red and yellow and it’s just gorgeous here in my little rainy city. And a tad late I guess but here’s my first Fall OOTD. Picked a burgundy/oxblood coloured lace dress because I love warm deep rich tones in the Fall and lace is just so romantic regardless of the season ❤

(Ignore the derp face and the not-so-happy hand placement, my point and clicker wasn’t cooperating and I was getting frustrated with it, I seriously have no patience (NONE) for the 30 photos I needed to take to get one shot. >.<)

Outfit Details

Burgundy Lace Dress: $15 USD – Cotton On

Black Tights: $10 USD – Korea

Brown Heeled Oxfords: $39.90 USD- American Eagle

Earrings: $2 USD – Bugis Street

And as I’ve said, I joined SUC 2013, so in commemoration of the event, here’s my 2nd round photo….the fully edited version, still with no filters used just a vignette for the darker halo effect. The earrings are visible here.

Do stop by to vote. Clicky and ctrl+f hearthealer (Yes, that’s me….long story =P)

Thanks you guys…and stay warm, bundled and happy

XOXO