The Happy Type

Today's post is short and sweet because I'm moving to a new blog! For the past couple of weeks I have been in touch with Melyssa @ The Nectar Collective on putting together a new blogging home. I'm as happy as a fat kid in a cake shop with what Melyssa has put together and working with her has been so easy!!

Seoul Sold will be shut down and I won't be posting here anymore because I will be back in the states in just a few weeks and wanted a blog that was had nothing to do with my Etsy shop. I'm not sure if I'll even keep the shop going once I get back to stateside, but I will keep blogging. :)

So without further ado, please head over to my new blog The Happy Type!

Snail Mail Collective

Hello everyone! So, today I have a question for you all and I'm going to be sharing some pretty rad news with ya.

Question:
Am I alone in LOVING actual mail? Like the good old-fashioned paper kind (so long as it isn't school loans, amirite? ;)) because there is just that excitement of opening something someone PHYSICALLY sent to you with their own two little hands vs. email.

I love getting mail from friends and am a card hoarder. Fun fact about me, if you send me a card I will never, ever, ever throw it away. EVER. I keep all the cards people send me in a semi-organized pile/on the fridge so I can go back through them and re-read all the sweet words friends and family have sent me. I've always been a card hoarder, but I have become borderline militant about keeping physical mail since I've been feeling all kinds of homesick and seeing familiar handwriting is like having a little connection with home.

News:
If you are like me and card-hoard, let's be friends and hoard together! I'm announcing the brand-spankin' new Snail Mail Collective! The talented and beautiful Melyssa @ The Nectar Collective and Chelsea @ Lost. In. Travels have put their clever heads together and have created a great opportunity for people to connect via mail.

Here are the rules straight from Lost.In.Travels:

Rules & Information

In order to participate in the Snail Mail Collective this July, please fill out this form. Filling out the form means you commit to actively participating and following the rules below.

1. You will be paired with one new person. We will do our best to make sure this person is from a different country, or at the very least, a different area of your country. We will strive for you to make international friends, but it's also nice to get to know the different parts of our own homeland.

2. Each month's gifts will have a theme. The first theme (for July) is to introduce where you live - what's special about it?

3. Each month, we will be taking sign-ups until the 7th day of the month. After that, the pairings will be posted on our blogs on the 9th or 10th of the month. Please check Lost in Travels or The Nectar Collective to find out who you're paired with.

4. You will have 72 hours to contact your partner (both partners must communicate together). If you're partner does not respond within 72 hours, please e-mail Melyssa or Chelsea.

5. You will have about two weeks to get to know your partner. After that time, your gifts must be sent by the 22nd of the month.

6. Gifts: Your present(s) should not total more than $5. We want this project to be affordable for you, so think small, but meaningful. Also, all packages must include a postcard (preferable) or a letter to your partner. Motivate them, tell them all the beautiful things you learned about them this month, and make them feel special! We could all use a little encouragement, especially from our new friends.

7. Once you receive your gifts, we highly encourage you to write a blog post about your experience. Share what you gave, received, and learned through participating in the Snail Mail Collective and meeting your new buddy.

8. At the beginning of each month, we will hold a link-up on our blogs (The Nectar Collective & Lost in Travels) where you can share and link-up your SMC blog posts. This way, you can see how people around the world interpreted the theme, learn about other cultures, and meet even more new friends.

A little peek at what Melyssa sent out to all of her participants during a recent postcard giveaway.

So I'm pretty exited to get in on this Snail Mail business and I can't wait to see who I'll get paired up with for the month. I am so ready to get some adorable Korean cuteness ready to send out into the world and if you are up for making a new friend abroad then join up with the Snail Mail Collective because you are going to be in great company!

Have a wonderful day and maybe I'll get to send you a piece of mail soon! ;)

Weekly Wishes

It's time to stop the chatter and listen!

Hello everyone! Today's post is all about hopes for the week and I'm excited to post my second Weekly Wishes link-up with Melyssa @ The Nectar Collective.

Last week, I decided to focus on being completely present in the moment and I'm happy to say that I feel like I rocked it! I spent much of last week in beautiful Boracay and so focusing on the moment and really embracing everything around me was just what I needed. People have been telling me that I look more relaxed and carefree and I know it's because I have been working on just enjoying the now, and not stressing about where I'm supposed to be in the next few hours.

This week's wish is:

Listen to myself, and listen to people.

When I say listen to myself, I really mean listen to my body. I'm a fitness nut and I have been nursing an injured knee for almost 2 months now. I can't seem to completely get over it because I refuse to give up my Taekwondo, but I'm going to try and do better for my body...hopefully. >.> I don't want to be 50 years-old with a crazy injury because of something that I did foolishly in my 20's.

I want to be able to listen to be people better. I won't lie because I love to talk, but I love hearing interesting stories and making the person I'm listening to feel important. I can't stand being in a conversation where I feel like the other person is just waiting to speak and I always want to ask them to repeat what I last said. I am going to strive to be more of a listener this week and I hope that by doing so I'll gain a new perspective on conversation and relationships.

BTW, how adorable is that pretty little baby? Her name is Amy and I went to her first birthday, which is a massive deal in Korea. Amy loves to play "telephone" with her foot, and has all kinds of conversations with her very stylish self. Amy dismayed her grandfather when she picked a microphone up out of the items she was presented with for her birthday. In Korea when a child turns one they are presented with 3 items, which they "pick" from (basically whichever item ends up in their hot little hands OR mouth) and this item will indicate what kind of life the child will have. For example if they choose a gavel then they will be a lawyer/judge, or a sack of money means they will be rich. Amy likes to jam and snapped up the microphone in .5 seconds so apparently Amy is future K-Pop royalty!

If you want to get in the Weekly Wishes link-up action then here Melyssa's rules straight from The Nectar Collective:

1. Share your posts about your goals, challenges, and wishes for the next month, week, or year! Posts completely unrelated to the theme will be deleted.

2. Link back to this site so others can get their goal-setting on, too (You can use the button below)

3. The most important rule of all! You must visit the person's blog who linked up before you and leave them some motivating comment love. This is non-negotiable and is such an important part of this link-up! We are here to encourage each other to accomplish our goals. Let's do this together! Can't wait to visit your blogs and see what you are wishing for this week!

Let's Be Friends!

This is pretty much how I feel about losing google reader.

Today I wanted to do the obligatory the-sky-is-falling-no-more-google-reader post! BOO! While I'm bummed that google reader is going bye-bye, I am really excited because I'll actually be LEAVING blogger very soon for wordpress.org. *cue awesome dance montage with flowers and birds...or cash >.>*

How I feel about my new blog, WHICH IS ALMOST DONE!

My site, The Happy Type, is being worked on by the lovely Melyssa at The Nectar Collective and I have been ABSOLUTELY blown away with the amazing collaboration and mock-ups that she's sent me. My new blog is going to be the best thing since sliced bread/cheese, and boy do I love carbs and dairy products (mostly melted together) so I don't use that phrase lightly. ;) I know that my site will be good-to-go in REALLY soon, but I wanted to make sure that all you wonderful people would be able to find me easily since I won't be able to rely on google reader to spread the good word.

So, let's be friends on bloglovin', because then we can totally rock a teeter-totter in confidence knowing that the other has got our back! Follow me on bloglovin', here. I am so excited about my new site and I can't wait to work on creating the vision that I have for it, but most of all I am escatic about sharing it with as many people as possible.

Have a wonderful day, beautiful!

The Clothing Collective Series: Beach Fun!

Hello everyone! I am so excited to write about today's Clothing Collective post because it is the last in the original series of posts that Katie and I came up with, AND I get to share some great shots of my time in Boracay because today's theme is:

Beach Fun!

It's that time of year, ladies! Get out your favorite swimsuit, sunnies, and cut-offs because the sun is shining and the water is fine! I am definitely a summer girl and I had a blast in Boracay because there was no shortage of sun or beautiful beaches to soak it up on.

I'm not much of a bikini girl and so when I pick out my swimwear I always tend to lean towards a more vintage cut with a halter top or high-waisted bottoms. I can't enough of the classic silhouette and fit of vintage-inspired swimwear and I feel like it's a universally flattering cut for most women. Here are some shots of my swimsuit selections for my summer holiday:

I'm a big fan of hats, can you tell?

Last summer when I was shopping for swimsuits I fell in love with these two hot potatoes on Modcloth and I never looked back! I love how both of these suits make me feel confident and stylish with me having to worry if I'm going to pop out of them (bikinis make me so nervous on account of a possible wardrobe malfunction whilst gallivanting).

I love how the red gingham one-piece gives me a structured top and bottom without making me look dowdy and grandma-ish on the beach. I've been working my thighs out a lot lately, but I'll confess that they have been a trouble area for me and so being able to cover them a bit makes me feel more in charge. It's really important to remember that confidence is 90% of the game when dressing yourself and looking good, because when you feel good you look good!

I can't get enough of this high-waist bikini because of the practical coverage and pretty shape that it gives to me. The suits top and bottoms help accentuate features of my body that I like and I am a sucker for polka dots so it's a win-win situation for me on the beach. ;)

I had a so much fun in Boracay and I am already planning my next beach vacation. I am planning on coming back to this part of the world in December when it's peak season and so I'll be sure to add to my suit collection for my next holiday getaway. A valuable lesson I have learned when purchasing swimsuits is not skimp because you really get what you pay for when it comes to swimwear! Until then I am more than happy with my swimsuits, which you can find at Modcloth. A cheap suit is often flimsy, poorly lined, and offers little support so when shopping around make sure to make a quality purchase. I love Modcloth because I have never been disappointed in the quality or customer service provided and it's into turned the first place I check for suits.

Check out Katie's beach style at The Style Dunce, and let her know what you think of her outfit!

Do you have a go-to swimsuit that just makes you feel confident and chic while enjoying the water? I hope that all of you are having a wonderful summer and hopefully you have your own beach getaway planned! As always let us know know what you think of The Clothing Collective and please, share any ideas for upcoming posts with us because we will have a brand-new set of posts ready to go soon! Have a great day and enjoy that sun, pretty ladies!

Bathing Beauty One piece in Cherry pie, here. Modcloth, $89.99.

Beach Blanket Bingo Two piece in Soft black, here. Modcloth, $89.99.

Weekly Wishes

I am so excited that I have internet connection because I can take a few moments from my cavorting on Boracay to do a little blogging! Blogging is sort of a release for me and so while my husband is away scuba diving I have a few stolen moments to blog, eat cold watermelon, and just take in that beautiful feeling of alone time.

I am linking up with the beautiful and talented Melyssa from The Nectar Collective for her Weekly Wishes link-up. Melyssa's Weekly Wishes link-up is easy-peasy and lets you take time to focus on ONE goal that you would like to achieve during the week. Whatever goal you choose doesn't have to be huge or radical, because even a small achievement is a step in the right direction to creating a more positive life. If you think about it there are 52 weeks in a year so achieving a small goal every week would give you 52 positive achievements, which I'm sure would add up into a HUGE change for the better. :) I missed it last week since I was in en-route to the beautiful island of Boracay, but now I can participate!

My goal for the week is:

To be completely present in the moment.

So often I find myself thinking PAST the current moment and worrying about what I'll do within a few hours, tomorrow, or next week. I feel like I'm missing out on truly enjoying how great the current moment is and by worrying about the future I'm only limiting myself and my experience of the NOW. As my time in Boracay, and later Korea winds down I know that making a more concerted effort to stay in the present will help me not stress out and allow to really enjoy my last days in Boracay and weeks in South Korea.

If you want to get in the Weekly Wishes link-up action then here Melyssa's rules straight from The Nectar Collective:

1. Share your posts about your goals, challenges, and wishes for the next month, week, or year! Posts completely unrelated to the theme will be deleted.

2. Link back to this site so others can get their goal-setting on, too (You can use the button below)

3. The most important rule of all! You must visit the person's blog who linked up before you and leave them some motivating comment love. This is non-negotiable and is such an important part of this link-up! We are here to encourage each other to accomplish our goals. Let's do this together! Can't wait to visit your blogs and see what you are wishing for this week!

<div align="center"><a href="http://thenectarcollective.com" title="The Nectar Collective" target="_blank"><img src="http://thenectarcollective.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/weekly-wishes-button-yellow.jpg" alt="The Nectar Collective" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

3. The most important rule of all! You must visit

<div align="center"><a href="http://thenectarcollective.com" title="The Nectar Collective" target="_blank"><img src="http://thenectarcollective.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/weekly-wishes-button-yellow.jpg" alt="The Nectar Collective" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

3. The most important rule of all! You must visit

- See more at: http://thenectarcollective.com/#sthash.zA7vBaSZ.dpuf

Share your posts about your goals, challenges, and wishes for the week, month, or year! Posts completely unrelated to the theme will be deleted. - See more at: http://thenectarcollective.com/#sthash.zA7vBaSZ.dpuf

Share your posts about your goals, challenges, and wishes for the week, month, or year! Posts completely unrelated to the theme will be deleted. - See more at: http://thenectarcollective.com/#sthash.zA7vBaSZ.dpuf

Share your posts about your goals, challenges, and wishes for the week, month, or year! Posts completely unrelated to the theme will be deleted. - See more at: http://thenectarcollective.com/#sthash.zA7vBaSZ.dpuf

The Clothing Collective Series: Work Out Fashion

Hello everyone! I am beyond excited for today's blog post so let's get started! I'm a fitness freak so I couldn't wait to write-up today's post/I'M IN BORACAY!!! Today's theme for The Clothing Collective series is:

Work Out Fashion

Please know that the "fashion" part of this title is completely subjective and is very loosely interpreted because I have been known to get my sweat on in nothing more than a ratty gym shirt and whatever breathable shorts are handy. However, just because I am apt to throw on whatever is handy when I am running to the gym doesn't mean that I haven't decided to make a conscious effort to look my best when I decide to work up a sweat. 

Lately I have been dressing in a more fashionable way when I get my workout in because I work out, A LOT, like a lot, a lot, and I decided that if I was going to spend so much time doing it I should look good! Looking your best never fails to give a little confidence boost, which is sometimes all someone needs to make a positive choice for the day, so why shouldn't this mentality holdover to a work-out outfit?

I went with a pair of black leggings so that I was able to be comfortable and covered at the same time because there is nothing worse than going through a yoga flow and having to worry about your shorts riding up your booty. For my top I went with a layered look of my sports bra, a simple white tank, and a fun ikat patterned pink tank top from American Eagle. I opted for au-natural, put my beach hair up in a pony and headband, and went makeup-less because who wants sweaty mascara ruining a perfectly good yoga session? 

No one ever, that's who. 

Since arriving in Boracay, I have made it a point to not forget about my fitness goals just because I'm on vacation. I made sure to check out what kind of activities I could participate in and that's when I came across True Yoga. I have been practicing yoga on-and-off since I was 17 when I thought it would be a cool way to spend an hour or so of my time during my last summer at home. As crazy as it sounds to be that was a whopping 10 years ago!! WHOA! So while I'm not the most experienced practitioner I can confidently say that the yoga classes at True Yoga are AMAZING. Not only am I challenged and stretched beyond what I thought myself capable of before the class, but I feel like I have learned so much from just a few classes with True Yoga. True Yoga's teachers honestly care about teaching and you can feel the care that they put into each session, plus what is NOT to love about yoga ON THE BEACH?!

Here are a few less than candid shots of me showing how functional, but adorable my chosen outfit was for a yoga session. I didn't want to be "that" girl taking the selfies while trying to hit a pose so Rich snapped these right after class.

I know that this post is lite on the fashion, but can you blame me? Check this awesome place out! 

About 20 or so feet from here is the ocean! I was able to see the beautiful waves of Boracay while I practiced my yoga for the day, how wonderful is that?

If you find yourself in Boracay and want to check out True Yoga then never fear because they hold super-affordable classes everyday at 9 am. Classes are True Yoga are 400 pesos and they run a little over an hour. Expect to be challenged and come ready for a wonderful opportunity which will serve to further your yoga knowledge.

True Yoga is located on the second floor of the Indian restaurant True Food, which can be found on the beach in D'MALL. If you go to D'Mall just walk along the main road until you see the Sharkey's sign and then take the road towards the beach. You will walk along for about 5 or so minutes passing through a wet market, a Pancake House and Globe mobile store. Keep going until you see a shop called Lonely Planet, turn left and walk along the beach to True Yoga/True Yoga, which is just a few minutes down the beach.

Look for this sign.

True Yoga's FB page, here.

Blogging is crazy hard when you are surrounded by an amazing tropical paradise, but I wanted to make sure that I stuck to the schedule that Katie and I had set out! Check out Katie's super fantastic work-out outfit, here. 

Make sure to leave The Style Dunce some love in the form of comments/some bloglovin'!

Let us know how you are liking The Clothing Collective series and what outfits you would like to see us do in the future. Next on the schedule is beach fun and you just know I'm going to have some great stuff from my time in Boracay! :)

Happy Summer!

This was the view I had for a few hours today while having fun on the high-seas as a red pirate.

 Hello everyone! Try as I might I missed bringing this beachy goodness to you on the longest day of the year: The Summer Solstice. Whoops! Although, better late than never, right? ;)

Have fun at Puka beach which is by far our favorite beach in Boracay.

Getting my pirate face on before our paraw boat trip.

Awwww....aren't we adorable?

This was the captain of our paraw boat and Deng-Don and he is pretty much the coolest pirate captain that ever was.

I hope you enjoy a few shots from our amazing beach getaway to Boracay and I can't wait to share the rest of it with y'all!  Have you ever been the Phillippines? This is our very first trip to the Philippines and we are loving it so much so far and I think it is my favorite vacation ever. Are you heading anywhere this summer? I'd love to hear about your favorite vacation spots and why, so please make sure to share. :)

Summer Fun: The Clothing Collective Series

Today's post for The Clothing Collective is focused on dressing for my favorite time of the year: Summer! I absolutely love the heat which I credit to growing up in South Texas WITHOUT an air conditioner. Man, oh man was it hot, but I grew to love the heat and I absolutely love being in the sun. Summer is always a great time of year for me because I can bust out my shorts, pretty sundresses and I love all the toe showcasing shoe options!

Let's get down to the chosen theme for this week: Summer Fun!

Since moving to Korea, I have slowly moved away from my tank top ways and because of the culture have adapted my summer style to cover my shoulders. For some reason in Korea you can show all the leg in the world, but as soon as we get into the shoulder zone things get scandalous! 

Never one to get down about fashion I love pairing a pair of light shorts with a more substantial top and fun shoe to get that summer look. Even though Seoul is a huge city there are no shortage of pretty green spaces so I headed over to the nearest pretty park to snap a few photos on a gorgeous summer day! I love being able to find a peaceful place so easily in the middle of the bustling city and the care that Koreans take in landscaping is going to be sorely missed when I leave.

For my look I paired a casual tank top and snap button lightweight denim top with my favorite black shorts and fun espadrille wedges. I chose a textured leather belt to add some interest and to allow me the option of tucking in my shirt if I wanted. I added a pretty patterned purse and grabbed my shades for a look that I felt comfy, but still stylish in for a Seoul summer day.

I love this purse so much because not only is it pretty, but it is water resistant and is made from a sort of sail canvas material. I'm a bit clueless on it since I picked it up years ago in Santa Cruz, but it is water resistant and DURABLE! I love that I can just wipe everything off of it and I don't have to worry about anything happening to it while I'm out adventuring. 

I bought these shoes last year from Modcloth during one of their crazy flash sales and scored them for a measly 18 bucks! I know, amazing, right?! I love how comfy they are and they add some sunshine to whatever outfit I pair them with. I never bother with expensive sunglasses because I am forever losing, scratching, and dropping my sunglasses to EVER bother spending more than 10 bucks on them, but I love these pretty pink framed sunnies so much I hope I manage to hang on to them!

Shoes: $18.00 Modcloth. Find similar, here.

Shorts: $39.50 Roxy, here.

Top: $20.00 Random Boutique. Find similar, here.

Bag: $40.00 Random Boutique. Find similar, here.

Sunglasses: $6.00 Random Street Vendor. Find similar, here.

Belt: $29.50 American Eagle, here.

Don't forget to swing the Katie's blog, The Style Dunce, to see how she approached our theme of summer fun. Here's a little preview to her sweet summer style.

Read Katie's blog post, here.

Do you have a favorite outfit for the summer? Let us know what kind of outfits you want to see us do and keep reading because our next post will be on creating a work out outfit fit for any fashion forward woman. 

PS: I'm off to beautiful BORACAY tomorrow morning and I couldn't be more excited!! I'm being ambitious about uploading some half completed posts  so I hopefully won't be completely absent from the blogging world. In reality I will probably be in a mojito daze and sunbath instead. Whoops! I can't wait to work on my tan, sip a mojito and take in the island beauty. 

This is where I'll be staying....I can't WAIT!

I hope everyone has an amazing week because I know I will!! I'll be back in 10 days! Have fun everyone. :)

Let Me Do The Shopping!

Hi there pretty people! My friend Emily over @ The Object Enthusiast shared a few sweet words about her personal shopping experience with moi at the helm. I had so much shopping for Emily and I am happy that she loved her items. Read her post here and if you didn't know Emily is a talented ceramics artist who you need in your life. I did a post on a ceramic jewelry box that I purchased from her and am in absolute love with! If you are looking for those pieces that you will be able to love and pass down generation-to-generation then Emily is your girl.

 Here is a little sampling of Emily's work:

If you want an international vintage shopping trip, but can't afford the plane ticket then just let me take care of it. All you need to do is send me those measurements and consider me your girl. ;)

Visit my vintage shop for the details, Seoul Sold.

Swing by Emily's shop, here.