Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day folks! Rich and I didn't really celebrate this year as we were stranded at an airport Monday and Tuesday, so didn't feel much like celebrating on actual Valentines Day - but we do have some plans on Saturday.

Although, I did come home to a "Snarky Valentines" swap package from a swap I recently did on Craftster and it was pretty great. First up is this snarky handmade garland with some conservation hearts.

I also got this cute handmade card (which I'm thinking I may frame) and some "conversation heart" jelly beans!

I've been trying to do Facebook/Instagram posts of Mia for each holiday/season, as we'd been trapped away from home in the days leading up to valentines I didn't have time to make/buy anything - but then this snarky garland arrived just in time!

I hope you all had a lovely Valentines regardless of what you did (or didn't do!).

Secret Valentines Swap 2016

I decided to take part in the Secret Valentines Swap again this year, its the second time I've done this  swap but I think it may have been running for longer than two years. It's a pretty simple and sweet swap where you make a cute Valentines package for your "Valentine".

I like this swap for two reasons, firstly I love Valentines themed stuff, well maybe I should qualify that a bit more. I do love pink, red and white and cute hearts and celebrating all the important people in you life!

However teddy bears, red roses and lame card kind of make me vomit, what can I say, I'm complex.

Anyway one of the things I like about this swap is that it encourages people to use stuff currently in their stash, rather than buying new "stuff".

For my swap package I decided to create a cross stitch (no big surprise there!) and I used all materials from my stash with the exemption of the pattern, which I bought new.

If you've been following my blog for a while, you will probably know from first glance that this is another patter from Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery, I love their patterns as they are just so cute!

Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery has a bunch of seasonal patterns, and this pattern is their Valentines Day pattern. I've also made the Christmas Pattern and I'm pretty sure I'm going to make the Halloween Pattern later this year because I love it so much.

I don't have too much more to say about this swap, this was a lot of fun to make and I really hope my partner enjoyed her "secret valentine" present.

Wednesday Wardrobe Challenge: Birds

Today's Wednesday Wardrobe Challenge was "Birds" - I do have one frock with birds on it, but I put it onto day and I realised I just don't love it. So straight onto the clothes swap pile it goes! 

Instead I wore a dress which has a pattern that kind of reminds me of feathers and I added some bird accessories. I don't think this photo of me is the best - but sometimes you just got to work with what you've got!

I added some bird themed accessories - a brooch and a necklace.

I was very lucky today - I received a Valentines package from Alicia,

including stickers, chocolate and jelly beans (oh and Hello Kitty of course)

You read that right folks - smokehouse BBQ potato chips chocolate! We haven't tried it yet, but it is intriguing. 

OUTFIT DEETS

Shoes - Number 1 Shoes

Tights - Glassons

Dress - From a Clothes Swap Party

Belt - The Warhouse

Brooch - Bought in Whanganui
Necklace - Gift from Rich

Wednesday Wardrobe Challenge - Fairy Princess

Hello all! Today's Wednesday's Wardrobe Challenge was a tough one - "fairy princess". I wasn't sure how to incorporate this theme into an everyday outfit. I decided to wear pink - lots and lots of pink.

This necklace is actually a cupcake - it's a little hard to get a decent "action shot" of it!

I bought this bracelet at a Hello Kitty Cafe in Seoul! Slightly blurry picture sorry folks.

Another new accessory I bought on my trip - this little ring is from Phuket City.

OUTFIT DEETS:

Dress: Vintage, Trade Me

Slip: Farmers

Cardy & Tights: Glassons

Belt: Bought in Korea

Necklace: Bought in Sydney

Bracelet: Hello Kitty Cafe, Hongdae, Seoul

Ring: Bought in Phuket City

Shoes: Number One Shoes

I hope you all had a lovely Valentines yesterday, Rich and I have decided to put Valentines "on hold" until next week. He is in the depth of writing an essay for his Masters degree and I've been working hard to finish off the dress I am wearing to our friends wedding this Saturday.

But if you want to see a cute couples Valentines post - check out Fox and Bear making Valentines Cookies at So Pauve - the couple that bakes together stays together!

Oh Strumpets! Valentine Swap

It's official, I've signed up for my first craft swap over at Oh Strumpets! Blog - it's a valentines swap which should be pretty fun. I already have a few ideas floating about in my head of what to make. I'm just waiting to hear back from my partner to see if she has a blog and get an idea of her likes/dislikes.
In another note - two more sleeps until my trip! Getting slightly nervous now, but I know it will all be fine once I actually start travelling - just the thought of it is a bit scary, but I know when I am on the first plane I will be fine.

Valentines Day

I'm a little behind the times clearly as Valentines Day was on Monday - but happy beleted Valentines day all the same.

Rich and I usually have a handmade valentines day - but this year it didn't quite happen. I have been feeling so tired lately with work and starting at the gym again. I feel like I am seriously lacking in the creativity department. If anyone out there has tips for getting your creative mojo back I'd love to hear them.

Rich did however make me a little something creative for valentines - this cute little card.I didn't end up making anything but I did bring these cute little cupcakes home for a valentines day treat.On valentines evening Rich and I went for a little walk around town. I spotted this rather awesome street art in left bank arcade. A rose with tentacles - I can't think of anything more awesome for valentines day.
We finished up valentines night with dinner at Fidels Cafe - I love Fidels and I had the most delicious quesidilla. But I forgot to take a photo - opps. Hope you all had a super valentines day.

Valentines Day

This year Valentine's Day also fell on Lunar New Year Weekend in Korea which meant a lot of businesses were closed and everything was generally pretty quiet - in fact it's as quiet as it's ever been.

For Valentine's Day this year I made Rich a piece of "art" of sorts - the words are both literal and figurative! I have no sense of direction at all and I would have been lost numerous times without his help and navigational skills.
Rich decorated a photo frame for me for a Valentine's Day present (it's our tradition to give only handmade presents).
We decided to make pancakes for valentines day but we really had limited resources to do this as in Korea it's hard to find things like baking powder and also there was no maple syrup for our pancakes! But they turned out OK with Strawberry yogurt and jam for topping. Finally we finished up the day with dinner at "2nd Place" a restaurant near our house which is really good - although the restaurant reminds me a little of a drug den in a Jackie Chan movie. Last of all we headed over to Amusing World, which is a big arcade/entertainment type place where we spend the rest of the night playing pin pong, singing norebang and playing arcade games.