31 July 2017

Things That Make You Go Oooooo (July 2017)

Celebration

How is July over already? It's crazy to think the year is already half way done but at least I've been somewhat productive this month. I'm currently in Bangkok with the family and I'll be staying here for my birthday, a Day6 concert AND I'm going to be visiting Beijing in a few days which I'm very excited about as I haven't been to China since 2010 when I did volunteer work with pandas. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their summer, enjoy this months links...

♥ Easy Ways To Eliminate Negativity From Your Daily Life

♥ 4 Ways Teas Can Make You Feel Better When Sick

♥ The Truth About Full Time Blogging Answered

♥ The Most Destructive Thing I've Ever Done

♥ 5 Ways To Spoil Yourself Today

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♥ How To Stress Less And Live More

♥ You Can Be Happy And Lonely At The Same Time

♥ 8 Reasons Cher Horowitz Is A Great Role Model

♥ Why You Should Be Meditating 

♥ My 10 Best Blogging Tips

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♥ 11 Ways To Embrace Who You Are

♥ Ten Years Ago On Melrose

♥ 9 Food Travel Destination For Ultimate Foodies!

♥ Fashion Poses For Lifestyle Bloggers

♥ 10 Signs You Might Be A Confused Introvert

Louise Ebel

♥ How To Be More Positive 

♥ 20 Genius Space-Saving Hacks for Packing Your Suitcase

♥ 5 Things I'm Giving Up For A Happier Life

♥ 25 Simple Tips On Growing Your Blog

♥ Do You Have Just One Day In New York City? Here Are 15 Things To Do!






Love & Lychees
Cate
xoxo

27 July 2017

Anime Series I'm Watching & Loving!

Cat attack

It's that time again for my bi-monthly wrap up of all the anime I've been watching and loving lately. The past couple months I've been watching a lot of very different genres but I've really enjoyed them although I do kind of feel I'm ready to go back to watching some supernatural, sci-fi stuff haha! In fact I think I'm going to have to binge Attack on Titan season 2 right after publishing this because I STILL haven't watched it yet so I'll keep this short, I hope you enjoy these recommendations!


くまみこ
Young shrine maiden Miko has spent her whole life in the mountains but now wants to attend high school in the big city and it's up to Natsu her talking guardian bear to prepare her for her transition to the city. This anime sounded so strange I just had to watch it and I actually really enjoyed it, the animation is beautiful and I really liked the characters of Miko and Natsu and the strange tasks Natsu gave her to prepare for the big city like buying heattech at Uniqlo or visiting Village Vanguard. I also really liked the opening and ending songs in fact I found myself randomly humming the ending song weeks after I finished watching in.


食戟のソーマ
I'm really late to the party on this one as I feel like the hype has been and gone on this anime but you know what I'm bringing it back! So if you don't know what Food Porn Food Wars! is it's about a boy called Soma who has dreams of taking over his father's restaurant and surpassing his father's excellent culinary skills, Soma's father gets a job abroad, closes the restaurant and enrols Soma into an elite culinary school where only 10% of students graduate. Ok so it's not the story that has everyone talking about this anime it's the "foodgasm" scenes which are weird, hilarious and perfect. You just need to watch it to know what I'm talking about. Even stranger is how I can totally relate to them being a big food enthusiast myself, I know that feeling when you take a bite of something REALLY good and several times throughout this anime I found myself drooling... I really wanted to eat all that food! Seriously, why does anime food always look so delicious?


にゃんぼー!
Nyanbo are the cat version of the popular cardboard character known in Japan as Danbo, I'm strangely attracted to these toys (it's that weird kawaii thing I love) so when I heard an anime was coming out I had to see what it was all about! Nyanbo are beings from outerspace and the anime follows their adventures on Earth, enjoying life and trying to find pieces of their UFO. Each episode is only 5 minutes long and animated in 3D mixed with real life scenery (and cats!) which I kinda liked and found suited the style well. While I'll admit it's not the best anime (it's waaay to short for starters) it is very, very cute and I enjoyed it so if you're a fan of the toys definitely check it out.


夏雪ランデブー
Harazuki decides to take a job at the flower shop of the woman he's fallen for but he can see the spirit of her dead husband Atsushi who tries everything he can to interfere with the relationship. This is such a melancholy anime but it has moments of humour between Atsushi and Harazuki who is the only person that sees him, I really enjoyed their interactions and it was clear they both really care for Rokka. The anime gave me a strange sense of nostalgia even though I've never experienced what Rokka has but I found myself relating to her so much.


カオスヘッド
Takumi Nishijou is an otaku  who lives in a storage container on top of a building in Shibuya, he prefers living in his "2D World" and regular loses himself in his delusions, one night he receives a link from and online acquaintance regarding the strange "New Gen" murders in the area and once he sees the photo he un-willingly find himself involved in the case... and then it gets complicated so you'll just have to watch it to understand! I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this anime as it's almost a decade old but I really enjoyed it and I related to Takumi so much it was sad. It's a little complicated I will admit as there's lots of strange scientific ideas and jargon thrown around but it was really interesting and did make you think a lot about life and the choices you make and that's one of the things I really enjoy about anime.


What anime series have you been watching lately?
Love & Swords
Cate
xoxo

20 July 2017

When Anxiety Attacks & How I'm Dealing...

Light Keeper

Honestly, I've not been in a good place mentally and it's been really difficult. To look at this another way this is the first time in a very long time I've felt this low but it's not the worst I've felt. Living with anxiety is something I know I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life and for the longest time I was never able to put a word to those feelings but now it has a name I'm better able to deal with the attacks when it happens.

Sometimes it doesn't have a trigger it just attacks and sometimes I feel so overwhelmed and stressed that "anxiety brain" takes over and recently I let it grab a hold of me which lead to some self-destructive behaviour. I'm not the type of person to ever discuss my problems with anyone even my closest family and friends, I tend to just deal on my own because the last thing I want is for those I care about to see me as a burden, worry them or be the cause of their stress and unhappiness but I'm learning to open up and it's one of the reasons I'm writing this.

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Anxiety can be a bitch! Sometimes it's a struggle to get out of bed and walk out that door and on those days I deal with those feeling by meditating, drinking some tea and trying to quiet those nagging thoughts in my brain. Sometimes just the process of putting on my make-up and bringing some life to my face can be the healing factor, sometimes I put my headphones on, shut-out the world and those inner voices of doubt and just take myself for a walk amongst nature where I can appreciate the true beauty of the world and sometimes just taking a long shower can heal me. Even the smallest action I can do for myself can make the biggest difference and can stop an attack before it gets worse.

One of the things I've learnt recently is that it's not my fault. My anxiety was brought on by various factors of my past and those things were not my fault or a fault in myself. I am not to blame for these feelings. While these feeling are a part of me they do not define me. I am my own biggest critic but I am also unique and deserving of life. Sometimes I need to take care of myself before I can take care of others because I deserve as much happiness as everyone else.

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It's an uphill struggle to get my life back on track but I'm getting there. Exercise helps, I've been doing it everyday or almost everyday, and it helps me sleep, gives me a sense of peace and accomplishment and it makes me strong both physically and mentally. I'm eating better because good food puts me in a good mood but I always make time for a coffee and cake date because treats are important to. I'm making an effort to talk more to friends online and off because they make me happy and as much as "anxiety brain" wants me to cut everyone out of my life so I won't fear getting hurt, I need them and I love them and I know I can't deal with this alone.

So what's the point of this post? It's to let everyone know I'm ok and I'm dealing and to let everyone else know you're not alone in your struggles, I understand, I've got your back and I'm here for you if you need me to be.


Love & Hugs
Cate
xoxo


14 July 2017

Zaful Summer Dress Long Dress Wishlist & Discount Coupon


Zaful contacted me recently to check out their new summer dress long dress and cotton dress collection and I was so impressed with the amazing choice of clothing (some of which cost less than $10) that I had to share. Thailand is the land of summer and I am in dire need of some new summer dresses so here are a few from their huge collection (which includes plus sizes to) that I would love to wear.


Floral dresses are a classic summer look and I really love the fresh look of this blue and white dress. The floral print is quite simple compared to other floral looks but the flared sleeves and the off-shoulder cut really make it something special. I can see myself wearing this to an afternoon picnic with friends paired with a simple pair of cat-eye sunglasses.

Palm tree prints are great to wear to the beach and this is exactly where I would wear this high-low palm leaf print maxi dress. Summer is all about being fun and colourful so when I saw that pineapple bag I thought it would be the cutest thing for this beach look. Sunsets at the beach sipping pineapple smoothies and fresh coconuts are just the best way to spend the summer! 


Ice Cream is one of my favourite things in this world and this pinstripe bowknot smocked cut out slip dress just gave me that feel of visiting one of those retro ice cream parlours and digging into a giant sundae which is exactly what I would do in this dress. A cute dress needs cute shoes and they don't get much cuter than these rose lace-up chunky heel sandals.


Which summer dress is your favourite?
Love & Ice Cream
Cate
xoxo


Want to be the more fancy in this summer? Just do it!
Discover our newest summer arrivals!
Surprise code: ZFEN

11 July 2017

Coffee & Cake Date #4: Innisfree Café - Myeongdong - Seoul - South Korea


Innisfree is one of my favourite beauty brands so on my recent trip to Seoul, South Korea I made sure to stop by the Innisfree Café in Myeongdong's main shopping street. I love that brands in Korea have monopolised on Korea's popular café culture and are offering their own unique take and Innisfree has gone all out on their nature theme decorating their cafe in fresh plants and flowers, even offering food and drinks based on this healthy and fresh theme.

Innisfree Café - Myeong-dong - Seoul - South Korea

I spent a good few hours just relaxing and enjoying the ambience and of course the food and drinks. Some concept stores are more concerned with the aesthetic of their food and drinks rather than the taste but Innisfree did not disappoint as everything I had there was fresh and amazing. I enjoyed a honey latte which came with some dried fruit to snack on, some very delicious egg and ricotta toast which came with one of the best side salads I'd ever eaten and their most popular dish the souffle hotcakes which were very light and fluffy and came with some beautiful decorated fresh fruit on the side.

Innisfree Café - Myeong-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Even if you're not a fan of shopping or skincare the Innisfree cafe is definitely somewhere you should visit as the food there is just so good! I actually visited the cafe twice whilst I was there and if I ever go back to Seoul it will definitely be high on my places to visit again.

Innisfree Café - Myeong-dong - Seoul - South Korea

อินนิสฟรีคือแบรนด์บิวตี้ฉันชอบที่สุด ตอนไปเที่ยวเกาหลีฉันอยากไปหาคาเฟ่ของอินนิสฟรี คาเฟ่อยู่เมียงดงสวยที่สุด มีดอกไม้มากๆแต่งร้าน อาหารอร่อยมาก หลังจากช้อปปิ้งมีอารมณ์ดีนั่งชิลล์ๆ อยากไปอีก

What brands would you love to have a café?
Love & Lattes
Cate
xoxo


Psssst if you want to see more awesome cafes from around the world you can click the button below, buy me a coffee & get treats & a shoutout on my next post





05 July 2017

Shopping in Seoul, South Korea


Seoul is one of my favourite cities to shop in because it's so diverse you can pretty much find anything, from traditional wet markets to luxurious spas to super kawaii toy shops to arty concept stores there's something for everyone. I tend to think of shopping Seoul like visiting an art gallery as you don't necessarily visit the stores with the intention to buy but more to enjoy the mood and atmosphere created by each brands.


Style Nanda is one of Korea's most popular clothing stores and their stores are always full of ladies checking out the 3CE make-up range and taking selfies. Each store seems to have a unique very Instagramable concept and I visited the 3rd flagship store called Pink Hotel in the the heart of Myeondong. The store was just so beautiful, pink and pretty and such a unique experience, I loved how each floor had a unique theme relating to the overall hotel concept and if you were tired from all the shopping there was also a beautiful rooftop area where you could sit, relax and enjoy some drinks from the Pink Pool Cafe downstairs.


Samcheong-dong and the Bukchon Hanok Village is such a unique area of Seoul and definitely one of my fave places to explore. The whole area has kept its traditional old-style Korean look with many of the buildings there built in the traditional style and even newer brands that have opened up stores there have made sure to maintain this traditional look, it's almost like travelling through times long gone. There's also so many unique boutiques, cafes and galleries here it's definitely worth spending at least a day exploring.


There are many other amazing places to shop in Seoul a few more I've visited are Ewha, Hongdae, Garosu-gil and Gangnam which are all full of amazing boutique stores and unique cafes that you can easily spend a day exploring each and even if shopping isn't your thing it's worth checking out the stores just to see the unique concepts as they really go all out with the aesthetics that it almost becomes less about shopping and more about an experience which I think is one of the best things about shopping in Seoul.


What are some of your favourite shopping destinations?
Love & Lipstick
Cate
xoxo