Shop Preview!

How has everyone's New Year been going? I hope that y'all are all knocking 2013 out of the park! I have been a busy bee lately and have been working on my New Year's resolutions like they are going out of style! I am really encouraged by the way this year is going and I have taken the "make it so" mentality to heart. 

Thanks, Jean-Luc!

In celebration here is a pretty shop preview to enjoy! Keep an eye out on the shop because these vintage beauties will be making an appearance very soon! :) You can find them and other great vintage clothing at our Etsy shop, Seoul Sold, here. I am really happy with my recent finds and I cannot wait to share them all! What do you think of the soon-to-be new additions? I think they are sweet and just in time for Valentine's Day!

Shop Preview!

How has everyone's New Year been going? I hope that y'all are all knocking 2013 out of the park! I have been a busy bee lately and have been working on my New Year's resolutions like they are going out of style! I am really encouraged by the way this year is going and I have taken the "make it so" mentality to heart. 

Thanks, Jean-Luc!

In celebration here is a pretty shop preview to enjoy! Keep an eye out on the shop because these vintage beauties will be making an appearance very soon! :) You can find them and other great vintage clothing at our Etsy shop, Seoul Sold, here. I am really happy with my recent finds and I cannot wait to share them all! What do you think of the soon-to-be new additions? I think they are sweet and just in time for Valentine's Day!

Things I love: Modcloth!!!

It has been over a WEEK since I posted....which seems like a lifetime, but it couldn't be helped. I caught a particularly nasty stomach flu and was down for the count all of last week. I didn't go outside or talk to anyone the entire time since I was so drained, and I cannot tell you how happy I am to be getting around again!

Hooray for health!

A while back....a VERY LONG while back...I was lucky enough to snap up one of Modcloth's stylish surprises! I had no idea what I would be getting and my mind ran rampant with what kind of goodies could be in store for me.

The long awaited day came and I won't lie to you. I was a tad disappointed...AT FIRST.

I ended up getting a sheer mustard yellow hi-low button-up top. I pulled it out of the box and was kinda of like...that's it? 

The top is soft and flowy, but I am not really a fan of flowy or baggy clothing because not too long ago I lost around 40lbs. When I lost the weight I had a wardrobe full of baggy clothing that didn't fit right. Because of my own history I was tempted to toss the item back into the box and call it a day, but I decided to REALLY look at the item and think about what it could BE.

Modcloth's stylish surprise challenged me to step away from my specific likes and to experiment with things I owned to create an outfit that I loved. It was really fun going through my closet with fresh eyes and on a mission. Overall, I would recommend the stylish surprise because you never know what you are getting and if anything it's fun to play dress up to find the right look.

Here is what I came up with. 

I really liked the top when I added it over a simple black dress with a crisscross back. When the weather is warmer I will be taking this look out for a fun date night look. 

I also wanted to try and play up the pretty color and collar of this top so I slipped it beneath a little peplum lace blazer that I own. I was really pleased with the pop of color and the overall look of the top underneath the blazer. This isn’t all I have come up with for this little number from Modcloth! I have some ideas of pairing it with a high-waist skirt and I can see it underneath a slouchy sweater as well.

When you feel like you have nothing to wear remember to look at your closet with FRESH eyes. With a little thought and some playing around you will be able to utilize pieces in new and interesting ways this year!
Keep your eyes open for a shop update in the near future and have wonderful day!

 

A Warm Weather Adventure: The DMZ

It has been snowy, icy, windy, and downright teeth-chattering weather in Seoul over the past few weeks. I have spent more time indoors, and have been missing the hot and humid days of summer that used to leave me soaking minutes after leaving the subway. 

In honor of my cabin fever and summer-lust I have been looking over photos from adventures in Korea that I had during the warmer months and here is one that I wanted to share.

The DMZ.

Even in South Korea the DMZ is made into a cute and adorable place.

When the weather was nicer I hopped on a bus around 8 am and took the 2 1/2 hour bus ride out to the DMZ to see why my husband and I were stationed here for 2 years. If most of you don't know my husband is a blackhawk pilot in the Army and I am his perfectly out-of-place Army wife. We really love living in South Korea and have done our best to embrace the culture and language of the peninsula. I took the trip to the DMZ because I felt like I had to go to the DMZ to actually understand why my husband does what he does and why we moved halfway around the world.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I went to the DMZ so I went with an open mind and heart. Our guide for the day was extremely well informed and I was not let down by the experience. 

What struck me the most was the hope and preparation for unification between the North and the South. The Freedom Building at the JSA (Joint Security Area), which was built to host reunification meetings between families split between North and South, was so big and so empty. At the time that the group I was with went through the building, we were the only people in the entire place and the desolateness of it was heart-wrenching. You could only hear the sound of footsteps echoing through the enormous building where families were meant to be hugging and smiling.  Another place that the emptiness really struck me was Dorasan Station, the very last station in South Korea before the DMZ. The station is empty and stands waiting for passengers from the North that never come. The only people who visit are tourists like myself.


The next most striking thing to me was the stand-off between the South and North Korean Army. It was heavy and intense with plenty of looks to kill. 

 
Here is the conference room that is shared by both North and South Korea for negotiations and meetings. The room is equally controlled by each country's soldiers and R.O.K. Army guards were in place to make sure that no one in our group got the defect fever. (At least that is what our guide told us ;))

The experience was educational and made the reason for leaving home for 2 years more tangible. I mean, I knew why we were here and had spoken to many Korean friends and acquaintances about it. Many of my favorite Ajusshis and Adjumas have shared stories with me about the war and divide that have left me tearful with a heavy heart. Living in such a bustling and vibrant city as Seoul it is very easy to forget about what happened and turn a blind-eye to the suffering. Going to the DMZ was worthwhile, I am glad to have done it, and I am eager to take friends so that they too can understand and really see a different side of South Korea.

If you ever have the chance visit the DMZ remember to go with an open heart.

Megan's Mason Jar Tumbler

I have pretty amazing friends.

Since I moved to Seoul, care packages from friends back home have become an unexpected and cherished event. Anytime that I feel worn down or just a little sad they always seem to know, and perk me right up.

Every time I get a box full of goodies it’s like Christmas all over again!

This Christmas had some great items, and one of my favorites was a unique handmade gift from my lovely friend, Megan. Megan is quite the crafty gal and made me a needlepoint kitchen towel last Christmas, and the amount of care she put into it sent me over the moon. This Christmas was full of more handmade awesomeness in the form of a mason jar tumbler.

I cannot tell you how excited I was to receive this little beauty which was packed full of instant drink mixes that I have been trying out all week. I love using my mason jar tumbler so much that I have started making Crystal Light in large quantities so I can sip from my jar at all times. I think I am a bit obsessed with it right now. >.>

Here is a simple tutorial from adelynSTONE on how to make your own mason jar tumbler in just 3 easy steps and you only need to have a mason jar, a drill, a rubber grommet and a pair of wire cutters to make your own! 

Megan added her own spin to the mason jar tumbler by using a stainless steel drink straw (you can purchase the steel drink straws, here) and by making an adorable cozy from her grandmother's stash of vintage fabric and buttons. The end result is a perfectly unique handmade gift that has become a part of my daily life. 

 

Guest Blog Post: Favorite Object

Hi everyone! 

Recently my friend Emily from TheObject Enthusiast asked me to do a guest blog post for her favorite object blog series. I chose a music box that my grandmother had given me when I was just a little girl. I am really happy with how the blog post turned out, so if you want to give it a look head over to Emily’s blog and let us know what you think. :) 

                                                                            See the blog post, here.

Also, if you are looking for amazing handmade ceramics Emily’s shop is your new best friend!
Emily runs a ceramic shop on Etsy and you can visit her shop, here, and her lifestyle blog, here.

Here is a little sample of her creative skills!

 

Bring on 2013!

I know that I am a few days late (OK, a week!), but I have been absolutely swamped with friends and family, not to mention the last of my graduate school applications and getting around the down right frigid weather. (I may or may not have pretty much slid down more than one set of subway stairs due to some ice and snow build-up)

Being in Seoul is not always an easy thing. It can be challenging to build meaningful friendships and not just feel like you are killing time with random acquaintances. The foreigner culture in Seoul is beyond transient and can be down right gypsy-like with people shuffling jobs, apartments, and leaving the country at a moment's notice. That super cool girl you met at an art show who you were looking forward to hanging out with? Yea, she left last Tuesday and the group you have been carousing with will be disbanded in little more than 6 months.  
 
Boo.

I have made sure to make the most of the friendships that I have made because I know that time abroad is a precious and fleeting thing that is meant to be shared with others, and not wasted away in a PC-bang(net cafe). After discussing what to do on New Year's Eve, my husband and I offered our place up to our group of friends who were stuck working until around 10:30 pm that night. Yes, I know! Such is the life of an English teacher in a Hagwon (private school). We didn't want to rush around, barely squeeze into an overcrowded bar with over-priced drinks, and then shell out money for a cab fare. So instead we stocked up on PLENTY of wine and bubbly, snacks, and prepared to greet the New Year among friends.

We had an awesome time drinking, laughing, and trying to figure out whose New Year's resolutions we had in our hands. I printed out a stack of resolution cards from Real Simple and they were a blast. Because the solar New Year is not that big of deal in South Korea it was impossible to find New Years Eve decorations so we made due and I found some great wire that had gold stars attached to make into party crowns. This New Year's Eve, I was reminded that friends and family are what make times special and our get-together was one of the most memorable and fun New Years parties that I have ever been to. Things don't need to be extravagant to be special and heart felt, and I am going to embrace this in the coming year.
 

SO, on to the New Year's resolutions! Here, are my top FIVE, yes, I have more than 5. ;)

1.     MASTER HANGUL. I have been learning the language while in S. Korea, but I have committed myself to becoming fluent this coming year and I will be spending some extra time in the library working hard to build on my current level.

2.     Get rid of NEGATIVITY. This year I am going to be cutting out the negative and embracing the positive. I not only mean myself, but ANY sources of negativity. I will no longer allow my joy to be marred by someone else and will be taking a hard look at my friendships to make sure that I am not allowing myself to get sucked into a gloomy tornado.

3.     Earn my Black belt and deserve it. I am currently three belt tests away from my black belt and I want to be able to make not only my master proud, but myself when I finally achieve it.

4.     Get Fit-ER. I am pretty fit right now, but I want to take it to the next level and will be kicking this off by participating in the Biggest Loser Challenge that is going on in my area. I am so psyched for the workouts and cannot wait to see what level I will get to.

5.     Have perspective. I can be OCD and get lost in the details, so this year I want to relax and focus on the big picture. This last one is going to be a doozy and I am going to have to work hard to take a deep breath and chill. :)

 

Well those are my resolutions! What are yours and what are you hoping to achieve this year?

AND

새해 복 많이 받으세요!! 

(Happy New Year!)