Whole30 before 30

Can you believe that I'll be turning 30 next month? Because I sure can't; in my mind, I'm still eighteen...  But hey ho, c'est la vie and I'm going to embrace thirty and do thirty proud. And what better way to usher in thirty than to do Whole30 before thirty!

We're already halfway through but it's been quite a journey. I'll admit, I've been a hangry, cranky-pants at times and the cravings for all things sweet (cupcakes, chocolate, donuts, macarons...) and carbs (mainly anything of the noodle kind) have been so real. I've eaten more eggs during the past fifteen days than what seems like in my entire life. Going out to eat has posed to be quite challenging. Meal-planning is a real thing, apparently. I've been resorting to a lot of leftovers for lunch. 

But we've been taking it day by day. I've been trying to satiate my sweet tooth with lots of fresh fruit and Lara bars! (Thank you, Lara bars!) And I'm grateful to the husband for doing it with me and for great friends, K and M for motivating me to start! 

Here are some of the meals we've had over the past 15 days. 

A simple breakfast: Scrambled eggs, avocados & cherry tomatoes

A more elaborate dinner: Mustard-marinated chicken, grilled onions and mushrooms, arugula salad with tomatoes and avocado

Brunch @Suji's: Omelette with bell peppers, onions and mushrooms, home fries, scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, ham 

A hearty lunch: Skirt steak, broccoli and eggs over-easy (I told you, a lot of eggs...)

A midday pick-me-up: my own Whole30 version of cappuccino - blend coffee with half a banana for a subtly sweet and frothy drink! 

Dinner @"The Garden": Grilled fish, sauteed cabbage and tomatoes, cauliflower, and mashed potatoes

A Whole30-approved brunch feast on vacation: scrambled eggs, avocados, grilled tomatoes, sausages, grilled vegetable medley, home fries, fruit salad, bacon 

Lunch out at a Turkish restaurant: Coban salad  

Dinner at home: skirt steak, eggs, grilled red peppers, roasted cauliflower 

I am now armed with the instagram account of Whole30recipes for inspiration to get us through the next fifteen days!

Cheers to Whole30 and turning 30! 

Makeup Menu

Happy Monday! And long time no "Makeup Menu"! 

Since moving to Korea, I have been tempted to buy anything and everything in sight. But I am proud to say that I have practiced some self-restraint and not done so. I had a major clean-out of my makeup stash, chucking things that were way past their expiration dates and purchased a few new things after much research and browsing through product reviews. Glad to say they're in my daily makeup rotation. 

IOPE Air Cushion XP (C23) - This is a recent purchase. Since using the Laneige BB Cushion (Review here) I have become a proponent for the cushion compact. It's easy to apply and easy to touch up throughout the day. But since coming to Korea, I was not able to find a good color match (I am significantly darker than the majority of Korean women.) After using up my Laneige compact, I was wading through all makeup stores here desperately trying to find one that would suit my skin tone, I used my friend M's IOPE air cushion. I loved the coverage, color and staying power. I tracked it down and purchased it within that week. Similar to the Laneige, it has SPF 50+/PA+++, making it a great companion during these humid, hot summer days here in Korea. 
Best part? It was on 30% discount when I went to the store! 

Anastasia Brow Wiz (in Medium Brown) - One of the usual suspects. I'm glad I bought a back-up of this before leaving the States. It's my absolute favorite brow product! I'm on my third one!

The Face Shop Single Shadow (in BR01 Real Ginger) - I had heard about this eyeshadow color for a few Korean YouTubers and thought I would try it. It's a matte eyeshadown. A subtle, everyday muted brown. 

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler - Another usual suspect - an everyday must-have. 

Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer (in Volume Up) - This is a mascara primer. I apply it to my lashes after curling. It adds volume and length and keeps a curl, without weighing your lashes down.

Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara by Lashblast (in Very Black) - I recently ran out of my usual Covergirl Lashblast Volume mascara, in the orange tube. I have repurchased that countless times and thought I would try something new. I immediately regretted it when I got home and used this Clump Crusher one.  I realized there is a difference between "waterproof" and "water-resistant" mascara. I learned the hard way: this one is "water-resistant" and did not hold a curl. The only reason it is included in today's Makeup Menu is because it works well in conjuction with the Dr. Mascara Fixer. 

Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher (in #6 Grapefruit Jelly) - A popular YouTuber here in Korea, Pony raved about this blusher as her favorite blusher on her instagram and so when I saw it on sale, I snatched one up for myself. It's a beautiful light pink that adds a subtle flush, but can also be built up for more color. 

Smith's Rosebud Salve - It's no secret I love this lip balm (post on favorite lip balms here). It moisturizes my lips instantly and adds a nice glossy look to them. 

SeOUL Searching: Insadong

To Y's bewilderment, I am surprisingly content being left to my homebody-ways. He recently pronounced me as an introvert. Though I disagree, I do admit I don't mind me some quality alone time. Maybe it's the amalgamation of changes, events, people, places surrounding me, that even with the absence of work, my mind is at a constant "Go, go, go!" trying desperately to take in, process, soak, and embrace all that is around me. 

There is something thrilling about being in a new city, uncovering gems in "new" neighborhoods. But it is also quite something to revisit a place with fresh perspective. 

Last week, Y and I had a wander in Insadong. It wasn't our first time there but we loved it nonetheless. We loved its traditional vibes, with a plethora of ceramics, calligraphy, and artwork to take in at every step. Not to mention, we absolutely loved that all the signboards were in Korean. 

Progress, Not Perfection

So I have always had a thing for handwriting, a lifelong fascination with the way letters are formed and documented on paper. My parents once told me that at their parent-teacher conference with my kindergarten teacher, she had told them how beautiful my handwriting was. However, she expressed concern that I was spending an inordinate amount of time forming and writing these said letters. I guess my penchant for perfectionism was apparent even at such a young age. 

In elementary school, I would arbitrarily decide on certain day, "Self, let's change your handwriting today". I would then obsess over the formation of any subsequent e's, a's, h's or c's. I would smile and be pleased when the letters were different enough, yet strangely familiar. 

In middle school, there was this classmate of mine. He was the artiste of the class. He wrote in all caps. I loved the modern look to his penmanship and I would admire it from afar. Until one day, I decided I would start writing in all caps as well. That was for a season. 

Fast forward and I have found myself on an exploration of calligraphy. 

It all started a few months ago. My co-worker asked me to make escort cards for his son's wedding. I took a drive to our local A.C. Moore to pick up a few simple supplies and since then, it's been quite a journey. 

It started with an affinity for handwriting but I've learned quite a number of things from calligraphy along the way.  

• Calligraphy is often more like painting than writing.
• It's okay to copy others. Everyone starts somewhere! Plus, Pablo Picasso once said, "Good artists copy. Great artists steal." 
• Words are powerful. 
• Sometimes, you have to just dive in. 

And one lesson that particularly resonates in my heart in this season:

• It's about progress, not perfection.

Thank you, Scarlet + Gold for my first ever calligraphy workshop! 

A work-in-progress

A special shout-out to these talented ladies for always inspiring me: 

@inkerellacards

@logos_calligraphy

@madebysonia

@pg7inc

@amandaarneill

@piecescalligraphy

A child-like heart

Y and I were both born here in Korea. While I moved to the United States as a toddler at the age of two and have no recollection of my time in Korea before then, Y moved to the US in his pre-teens as a ten-year-old. 

When asked how he liked it here in Korea thus far, Y made quite a poignant analogy: he said that coming back here to Korea felt like rereading a childhood favorite book as an adult. Have you ever done that? Revisited and reopened a favorite book from your childhood to rediscover things you had long forgotten about. It's finding new in the old and reclaiming the old in the new. Since arriving here, Y often speaks of being reminded of familiar scents, sounds and scenes and having a newfound appreciation for them now as an adult.  

Y's analogy and my friend E's blog post on children's literature got me thinking about my favorite children's books. 

Here are just some: 

Corduroy by Don Freeman 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco 

Here's to always having a child-like heart!