Leibster Award

Hello everyone I am so excited to do today's post so let's get started! :)

Image by How To Run In Stilettos. Find it, here.

I was recently nominated for the Leibster award and couldn't be happier to participate in this little internet recognition! Thanks so much to Morgan @ Me and My House for the nomination. :) Morgan was a part of the Blog Every Day in May Challenge that I participated in and she is just one of the many awesome bloggers that I got to link-up with in May!

Here is a little bit about the Liebster award courtesy of Morgan's blog post on the whole affair:

The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. So, what is a Liebster?  The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. Isn't that sweet? Blogging is about building a community and it's a great way to connect with other bloggers and help spread the word about newer bloggers/blogs.

Here are the rules for receiving this award:
1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions that the tagger set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you’ve tagged to answer.
3. Choose 11 people to nominate and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. No tag backs!

Now that the scene is set, here we go!

11  random things about me:

1. I'm obsessed with Hello Kitty.
2. I used to be a wild child, but now I'm a homebody. 
3. I speak Spanish and Russian.
4. My dream is to master the fishtail braid.
5. I'm a black belt in Taekwondo.
6. I make sure to eat everything...TWICE, just to make sure.
7. You can always count on me to lose my chapstick.
8. I am addicted to working out and have to get my fix at least 6 times a week. I'm a freak, I know.
9. I can't cartwheel. 
10. I love to cook and am happy spending time in the kitchen.

Questions by Morgan:

1. Who inspires you the most?
Abraham Lincoln...I'm not even kidding, ok, also Cassey Ho @ Blogilates. I have a wide range of interests. :)

2. What is your earliest memory?
Sitting at my grandmother's playing with a doll that she sewed for me. My grandma didn't put any hair on it so I used a green marker to draw it on. I miss that doll!

3. What is your worst habit?
I'm totally that person that is all I'll be there in 10 minutes when I haven't even left my apartment!

4. Something you can't leave the house without?
MY CHAPSTICK....which I have misplaced...which is why I'm late!

5. What is something your readers would be surprised to know about you?
I'm an avid sci-fi geek and used to be a hardcore raider in World of Warcraft. Yea, that's right!

6. Your favorite food?
Beef Pho is the best food in the entire world...HANDS DOWN.

7. A perfect night out...
Good food and drinks with my best friends in the entire world...too bad that I'm an ocean away. :(

8. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Vietnam because I am pretty sure that I would die from happiness from all of the food.

9. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully, I will be finishing my doctorate in 19th century American History. *crosses fingers*

10. If your life were a musical, what song would you choose as your big solo?

 

I am such a Tejana....I would gladly have my big solo be to St. Selena!

11. Your favorite blog?
Right now my absolute FAVORITE blog has to be The Nectar Collective. If you haven't already head on over to  Melyssa's blog and prepare to fall in love!

Questions for Nominees: 

1. Where did you grow up?
2. Your house is on fire and you have time to grab ONE thing. What do you grab?
3. What's your biggest guilty pleasure?
4. What is one of your talents? 
5. What would you do if you knew you wouldn't fail?
6. Where is your favorite place in all of the world?
7. The craziest thing you have ever done?
8. Have you been in love?
9. What is a piece of wisdom you would like to share?
10. Why do you blog?

My Nominees:
The Style Dunce
GlitznGrits
Poppy the Blog 
Life of the Lane
NewlyMynted
A Fanciful Creature
CityGirl Searching
Thirdbite
Ink + Adventure
Desperate English Teachers
The Zale in Vail

I really love each and every one of these blogs for separate reasons and I am so excited to spread the Leibster love! 

Have a happy day and hooray for internet awards! :)

How To Thrift Like a Pro

Today I am going to share some tips on how to conduct a successful thrifting shopping trip. I am NO stranger to the world of thrifting and I used to frequent second-hand shops, garage sales, markets, and estate sales where I thought I might have a good chance to pick up a unique item. However, I was an amateur and it is only since moving to South Korea that I have blossomed into the thrifting beast that I am now. Oh, the hours and hours that I have spent sorting through piles and piles of clothing is enough to send most people running, but I have enjoyed EVERY second of it and I even opened my own Etsy vintage shop, Seoul Sold, to prove it!

I am excited to share what I have learned and I hope that maybe one of two of my tips will make your next thrifting adventure more enjoyable.

Here is what you NEED and this is non-negotiable. If you listen to me I can make sure that you have EXACTLY what you need to be happy and productive while out scouring the secondhand haunts.

Bag
A big 'ol bag and the bigger the better, but keep in mind that when I say big I don't mean something that is cumbersome for you to carry. Think about your preferences, do you like backpacks, messengers, or an over-sized purse? Whatever you choose make sure that it is light-weight, and doesn't have a lot of straps or zippers to get in the way because we want to be able to jam as much clothing as possible into it with the least effort. Also an easily identifiable bag is good for keeping track of it if you set it down in the mountains of clothing so choose a brightly colored bag. Plus, if you are able to quickly see what you have at a glance you will be able to reassess your shopping strategy easily. Because no one really NEEDS a bag full of polka dot dresses just because you found 5 in a row!

I have a favorite Aerie tote that is my go-to bag when I hit the vintage markets. My aerie bag hits all the right notes being light-weight, easily accessible, I love how easy it is to carry, and I  won't lose track of it with it's bright pink pattern.

All of this is in that Aerie bag! 6 tops and 7 dresses, plus a skirt that isn't pictured!

Cash
I know that a debit card is amazing and we get so used to using them on a daily basis that when we go shopping we  usually don't think to bring cash, but a thrifting trip is different from a regular shopping outing. You aren't going to the mall and your card is useless if whomever you are buying from doesn't have the means to process a card payment. Cash is king in the world of thrifting and you can usually get a discount if you are buying multiple items. ALSO, cash is critical for budgeting, if you take out a set amount of money for your trip then when all the cash is gone you are done! Only carrying cash to thrift with helps you pace yourself and makes you keep an eye out for those one-of-a-kind items. No buyer's remorse for you, hooray!   

Tape Measure
A tape measure is your best friend when you are on a serious thrifting mission! Stopping to try things on can only slow you down and it tires you out a lot faster than if you are able to just measure the garment and make a quick informed decision. Also, you may not be able to try it on if you are at a market or estate sale so make sure to ALWAYS have your tape measure on hand.

Snacks/Water
Snacks, you need them. I can't count the number of times that I have been finding amazing pieces only to have my stomach start to growl and yell at me making it pretty much impossible for me to focus until I ate. Pack a snack that is easily eaten without having to touch it directly because no one wants dirty hands on their food. I usually bring along a good granola or protein bar to tide me over until I'm shopped out.

Don't forget your water! Staying hydrated is another great way to stay focused AND refreshed. You will be able to shop for longer no matter the circumstances if you make sure that you have a water supply on hand so grab your favorite water bottle for your next trip.

Comfortable clothing/Walking shoes
You are going to be spending a lot of time on your feet so don't wear any footwear that you won't be able to comfortably walk, climb, and lug your vintage finds around in. Yes, I've climbed a mountain of clothing and lived to tell the tale! Also dress in layers if you aren't sure how the weather will be because you can always take off a layer and keep on trucking if you have to.

My last and MOST important tip: Don't get discouraged! You won't always find amazing things at great prices when you are thrifting because there really is no rhyme or reason to it. Some days you are lucky and others you strike out a lot, but can pat yourself on the back for all of the walking that you did! Yay for being active in any way possible. ;) You will encounter piles of clothing, walk till your feet fall off, and probably sneeze your head off thrifting, but it is so worth it when you find an amazing item!

My friend Seung-Wan's victory yell as she finds the perfect dress for summer.

Here are a few shots of what a normal trip the vintage markets looks like for me. I have no idea how I manage to FIND anything in all of this, but it is so much fun!

A look at what I climb, dig, and wander through in the quest for vintage items.

Staying positive as I dig through a massive bag of dresses.

I hope that your next thrifting adventure is full of awesome loot and if you haven't tried out second-hand shopping I hope you do! Finding a one-of-a-kind item is thrilling and you'll love knowing that you won't see ANYONE else with it.

Make sure to swing by my vintage shop for some great items and let me know what you think. 

Find my shop, here.

Happy thrifting!

Garden Party:The Clothing Collective Series

How is everyone? I feel like I have been away from the blog for too long and it has been killing me! Today I am going to get back into the groove with a great fashion post for The Clothing Collective series that my bestie, Katie and I started!

Our chosen theme for this fashion post is: Garden Party. 

I'll be honest I have never even BEEN to a garden party, but even if you aren't heading out to a garden party to nosh on tea and macaroons anytime soon this look would work well for any outdoor event that you just want to look special for.

I love color so I chose to go with one of my favorites for this outfit: royal blue. Something about the color just makes me feel confident and calm, which is perfect for keeping it fashionable during the hotter months.

I also wanted a classic heel and something that wouldn't be too difficult to walk in because outdoor events usually have more walking and standing than usual. You won't want to be the pretty lady with sore feet while trying to look gracious, serene, and perfectly in control of that tea cup or fruit kebab.

Dress: Modcloth. Shoes: Hautelook. Belt: Modcloth. Clutch: Hobo Bags.

I've been growing my hair out for a while now and while I love how I can braid and curl my hair 8 ways from Sunday the rising heat has been making me sweat! So when I'm spending time outside this summer season an up-do is one of my necessities! I chose the princess roll up-do and I love how quick and easy this style is while making it seem like I put a lot of time and effort into it. I'm a bit taller than most of the people in Korea so I have become a bit lazy worrying about bobby pins showing on the top of my head, but I'm glad that you can see where I fixed the pins under the headband. Give this look a try when you want a fast and pretty hairstyle! Birchbox did a wonderful tutorial on creating this hairstyle that I shared on an earlier post find the hairstyle, here.

For accessorizing my outfit I kept things pretty simple because less can be more and it helped keep the overall feel of the outfit casual. I went with a simple floral belt, statement piece necklace, neutral clutch and a bright bow headband for some added color.

I hope you enjoyed my take on an outdoor event outfit! I loved putting together a look that was dressy enough for cucumber sandwiches, but still casual enough to enjoy a plate of BBQ if you choose.

Check out Katie's take on our garden party theme, here.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and I can't wait to get caught-up on all the posts that I have lined up to share!! What kind of outfit do you prefer for an outdoor event? Let me know how to dress to impress and stay tuned for our next fashion post: summer fun!

Healthy Chia Seed Pudding//New Blog Name

Today I'll be sharing a couple of things with you and one of them is a delicious recipe for chia seed pudding! Yes, you heard me right, chia seed!

You are probably thinking this, right?

Isn't this little guy adorable?! Let's eat it!

Yes, the chia pet that we grew up loving is indeed made up of the SAME chia seed that I'll be showing you how to turn into a delicious pudding. Salvia Hispanica is a little gem of a seed from Mexico/Guatemala, and it's a fiber/good fats power house! It's also a really great ingredient to keep around because of it's ability to turn into a gel, which can be substituted for fat in some recipes and can act as a thickener. I'll mix up some chia seeds and water to get the right consistency when I make protein bars and want to skip adding any extra stuff like syrup.

On to the recipe, which I can't take credit for because the amazing Gina @Skinnytaste is where I found it! Find the original recipe, here. I LOVE YOU, GINA!

Ingredients:
1 cup Almond Milk (I used original, but you can use the unsweetened vanilla variety as well.)
2 tbs of Chia Seeds

I'm really on a 2 ingredient kick, aren't I? Ok, so this is what we do!

Ok, so take the milk and chia seeds and mix them together. Make sure that you thoroughly mix them together because if you don't the chia seeds will just clump together at the bottom of the milk and you won't get the pudding consistency that we are looking for. I mixed mine with a spoon, let them sit for a few minutes and then gave them a good few shakes, which is why my container is a hot chia seed mess!

Once you've made sure that your seeds and milk are all shook up stick it in the fridge and let it sit for at least 3-4 hours or better yet, OVERNIGHT! It was so awesome waking up to my chia seed pudding for breakfast. :)

Look at how pretty it turned out?! Doesn't it look great? Don't worry the seeds won't be chewy at all since they sat overnight in your milk. I added a few berries because I want a little somethin' extra...and then I got an idea!

Oh yea! If you want to change it up and get a little more color and flavor out of the chia seed pudding then feel free to add 1/2 cup of berries to the mix and blend for a great pudding/smoothie treat! I went with a blueberry, raspberry, cherry mix and I loved the way it turned out. You can even go crazy and pop this in the freezer for half an hour or so to thicken it up to a more yogurt-like consistency. YUM!

Nutrition:
Fat: 8.78g
Fiber:6.55g+2.68
Carbs:11.58g
Protein: 4.68g+.67
WW points+: 3pts

with berries:
Fat:8.78g
Fiber:9.23g
Carbs:21.58g
Protein:5.35g

WW points+: 4pts

Makes one serving.

If you are thinking, "Wow what a great recipe, but where the heck do I find chia seeds?!" Don't worry! Head down to your nearest health food store or co-op grocery store and you can usually find these little babies, but if you come up with nothing then just head to Amazon.com I had NO LUCK tracking these down in Korea and so I just had them shipped from Amazon for a really affordable price. I got 2 pounds sent to me for a grand total of around 26 bucks and that was WITH shipping. If you are not wanting to take the plunge they also sell them in 1 pound bags for around 13 dollars, find it here. AND Bob's Red Mill even sells chia seeds so I bet you could find these at your local supermarket for an affordable price.

Ok, so not only did I want to share the super yumminess of the chia seed with you, but I also wanted to let you all know that I'll be switching blog names pretty dang soon. I'm really excited to make the switch because this blog hasn't been that focused on the shop in a bit, whoops! >.>  I can't help but feel guilty about not just focusing my blogging efforts on the vintage shop and I can't wait to have a blog purely for posting about things I find interesting or want to share. The next post will be purely focused on vintage shopping, I promise!

So, you may remember me saying that I had been having the worst time coming up with a blog name and thankfully I FINALLY DID IT!! When I make the change I'll be going by TheHappyType.com!

I'm a genius, right? Every time I see the blog address which is just waiting for me I want to do a little dance because the name makes me so glad that it came to me.

 Now that I have a sweet name picked out and I know exactly what type of content I'll post, I just have to decide what kind of blog design I want. I am really excited to try and figure out the look that  I want. I'll be gathering up some inspiration for the next step and I can't wait to see what I'll see around Seoul to get my creative thinking going.

I hope you enjoy the healthy pudding recipe and please share how and what motivates you to be your most creative. I'd love to hear how you got your current blog look and the process that you went through. :) Have a wonderful day!

Anniversary Outfit: The Clothing Collective Series

Today is the very first outfit post in The Clothing Collective series that my bestie, Katie, and I have created! I am super excited to share what I came up with for my 2 year anniversary with my great husband, Rich. On our anniversary it was pretty gloomy and rainy, which changed our original game plan of a picnic and night market date. Instead we did what any reasonable couple does with bad weather in Seoul, we went to the nearest CGV (movie theater) to have a 4-D experience.

Let me just say that if you have the chance to see ANYthing in 4-D do it, and do it right! We picked the most action packed movie that our chosen mall, I'Park offered: The Fast and The Furious 6.

Oh, yea we did! It was pretty stinking cool and felt like a Disney ride the whole time, especially with all the car chase scenes where I had to constantly remind myself to not throw my hands up in the air. So when I hit my closet to decide on an outfit I wanted something that looked special, but wasn't TOO dressy. Seoul is known for it's high fashion, but I might get a few stares in the movie ticket line if I showed up in my absolute best.

So to the closet I went looking for a casual but special look for a night out with Rich! 

A trend that I have been noticing for the summer is the use of black and white for a clean, but chic look and so that was the main inspiration for my outfit. I went for a casual striped black and white top and paired it with one of my closet staples, an A-line black skirt. I knew that I didn't JUST want black and white though because I am a huge fan of color and so I decided to work in touches of color in my accessory choices. 

I chose to go with a pink belt, floral necklace, and a fun purse to add a bit of color and some whimsy to my outfit. I feel like putting these light-hearted details into the outfit kept it from coming across as too serious and dressy.

For my hair I went with a simple, but sweet look by giving my hair some volume and a light curl with my trusty 1-inch curling iron. I Then took the front part of my hair and did a small dutch braid down the front to add some interest to my simple do. I was really happy with the overall look of it and I loved how quick I put it together!

I am in love with my kitty bag and have had it FOR YEARS. I usually just use it when I am running around in jeans and so I was excited to use it for a dressier occasion. Isn't it fun? I think it adds just the right amount of playfulness to the ensemble and it pairs really well with my simple pink belt.

I cannot say enough about how much I love heels, but I have been shying away from wearing them since I moved to Korea. I am already a fairly tall girl at 5'9, and in heels I am a giant among most of the population in Korea. When I wear heels I get gawked at for my height and so I have worn them with less frequency than when I lived in the states. I love the edginess of these heels and the detail that they bring the outfit. I also feel like a good high heel was necessary with this type of longer A-line skirt because with too low of a heel the volume of the skirt can overwhelm your shape.

My anniversary was a really fun occasion and I can't wait for the "real" anniversary present to happen later this month, A TRIP TO BORACAY! Our low-key 4-D experience was great for celebrating the actual day and I liked how my outfit was comfy and special enough that I was able to focus on just having a great time with Rich. We are pretty silly when it's just the two of us and I love being his wife, can you just tell what goofballs we are?

Make sure to visit The Style Dunce for Katie's take on an anniversary outfit!  Here is a little sneak peek of what she has going on over at her blog!

I hope you enjoyed my very first post in The Clothing Collective series! Let us know what kind of outfits you would like to see next and share your thought via comment! To make sure that you stay up-to-date with The Clothing Collective here is our posting schedule for the rest of the month!

Spring Garden Part June 9th

Summer Fun June 16th

Work Out Outfit June 23rd

Beachwear June 30th

Also, here is all the info one what I wore for this post! 

Skirt: Modcloth, here. $69.99 USD

Top:H&M, here. $12.95 USD for two!!

Shoes: Steve Madden, similar here.

Bag: Loungefly, similar here. $39.99 USD

Jewelry: Ukrainian folk jewelery(THANKS, KARYNA). Similar here. 

Visit Katie's blog, The Style Dunce, here.