Tuesday 17 September 2013

This Man of Mine

I have to take a moment and give credit where credit is due. Because this man of mine does a whole lot more than I could ever ask or give him credit for. 

So in celebration of what he calls his 'funeral' of turning 30 (even though we all know he'll forever act like he's in his 20's) I am making this post an ode to the birthday boy. The man behind the blog who doesn't get the spotlight nearly enough. 

So here's to the the man who....

has awesome photos like this from when he was little. Seriously, anytime I'm having a bad day, this photo instantly makes me feel better. 
forever changed my mind about redheads. I mean come on, how can you not think that red headed little cowboy is adorable?!

is patient with me in working on my fears. He's actually holding my hand so I don't go back up!
edits and shoots all of our photos. That's right. Every photo on here that doesn't look like it was taken with a phone (I take full credit for those) was produced by him. I couldn't ask for a better blogging partner.
always knows just how to make me smile.
gets up early every.single.morning to make us breakfast so I can take my time getting ready for work.

lets kids dress him up and who made my heart melt when we were kindi teachers and he would make up stories and tell them everyday in class.

is a daredevil extraordinaire. And even though I have had to close up, clean up and take care of more wounds than I care to count, I can never say that life with him is boring.
So, to the man who is above and beyond what I ever could have hope for...
30 has never looked so good.

Haute Spot in Paris: Le Bristol's 114 Faubourg

 Hotel Le Bristol receives its fourth Michelin star; I was invited in to celebrate in Paris! 114 Faubourg is one of the most exceptional restaurants in the city of light. Some are calling it the temple of Parisian gastronomy because of its trio of outstanding chefs… Chef Eric Desbordes, mentored by Eric Frechon, Hotel Le Bristol’s Chef des Cuisines and Laurent Jeannin the hotel’s Pastry Chef.

Hotel Le Bristol, set in an 18th Century-style palace with paintings from the old masters along the fashionable rue du Saint Faubourg Honore, offers a restaurant with a contemporary take on French cuisine in an atmosphere of hauteness.

While in Paris, I was invited in to sample some of their most popular selections. My friend Catherine came along as my guest to share in the celebration. It was truly a delightful experience.

Here’s my menu selection:
Champagne Deutz
Evian

Starters
Lobster from Brittany, Green Beans Salad with Raspberry Seasoning (36 €)

Main Course
Mature Beef Ribeye with potatoes (130 €)

Dessert
Profiteroles with Coconut Ice Cream and Caribbean Chocolate Sauce (19 €)

After Dinner

Herbal Tea (5 €)










Haute Beauty Tip: drybar Blowouts

When you're on the go but need a quick blowout, drybar in Atlanta maybe the answer. I was invited to try the services and I have to tell you, I really like some of their products like the Hot Toddy and Treatment Oil. 

It's really simple, shampoo, condition, blowout and style! No color, cuts or anything else. It's as simple as that for just $35! My blowout wasn't spectacular but it did the job. If you're in a pinch and need a cost-effective way to get your hair done, try a drybar near you.

The salon is also really cute. I love the white decor with yellow accents and vintage glam design.








Hidden Haute Spot in Paris: Castille Paris Hotel

This romantic boutique hotel is one of the haute spots for Chanel’s corporate movers and shakers. Tucked away on Chanel’s legendary street, Rue Cambon, Castille Paris is where French and Italian style merge for the ultimate luxurious escape.

This peaceful 5-Star hotel, located in the first Arrondissement, is close to many local attractions such as the Louvre, the Opera Garnier and Place Vendome. This 18th Century residence features an amazing collection of art and antiques offering 108 rooms and suites that are fabulous and chic. The Rivoli Wing is a tribute to Coco Chanel, who started her fashion empire right next door! I really liked the black and white with beige palettes complimented by Robert Doisneau's stunning black and white photography of Paris in the 1930's.

My favorite suite is the duplex perfectly complementing French design and architecture. I love it because the floor plans offered bi-level duplex layouts or single level. The suites also offer lots of lighting, mirrors, velvet furniture, Calacatta marble baths and space for a Haute Travels girl's needs. I even loved the Etro Italian beauty and bath products sitting on my vanity. But my favorite part of the suite, the famous goose down Starbed a feature at Starhotel properties plus complimentary WIFI.

Here’s a look inside my suite at Castille Paris... 












And now here's a look at the two story duplex suite... 



Monday 16 September 2013

Travel Tuesdays-Nepal

Just a little something to spark your wanderlust for the week.
via
“A wise traveler never despises his own country.” – Carlo Goldoni

Sunday 15 September 2013

Lessons Learned From Traveling With Your Man

"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." - Mark Twain
Thankfully through traveling to three continents and eleven different countries together, my husband and I have fallen more in love with each other (and traveling) than the dreaded latter of the quote above. But through our world galavanting, we've not only learned more about ourselves, but we've also learned some priceless lessons about each other. So I've compiled a list of five things that you can expect to learn when traveling with your man.

1. Bathroom language just can't be avoided. Especially when you spend every day for two weeks chowing down on some Thai green curry and a bathroom break is required within 10 minutes of finishing. Check out this post to see what are must haves in your medicine kit

2. Hanger is real...and ugly. I truly believe that all things said out of hunger should immediately be forgiven and forgotten. End of story. Oh and always carry snacks with you when traveling...always. 

3. Your fights while traveling will most likely become hilarious stories...later on. Keep that in mind while traveling. My favorite happened while on our honeymoon in Fiji. We decided to take a hobie cat and sail to a nearby island about a mile away. I had warned my new husband that it may be the wrong time to do this since the wind was dying down; but we went anyway and made it there in no time. Well when we were heading back, the wind died. I'm not just saying, it died down, I mean, there was zip zero zilch wind coming our way. We were stuck about half a mile from either island, in the blazing heat of the sun and for some reason we made the wise decision not to put on sunscreen that day. Being stuck, with no sun screen, and no way back does not make for a fun day of sailing. Of course at the time it wasn't funny but it didn't take long for us to laugh about it later. 


4. Their true side will be shown quicker while traveling than in day to day life. Combine unfamiliar territory, different languages and cultures and you've got yourself a mix dangerous enough to send the most calm and collected guy into a panic. And rightfully so. Thankfully, I've found a guy that stays cool even in the midst of canceled flights, being lost in an unfamiliar city or worst of all, trying to find the nearest bathroom after the aforementioned green curry outings. Because let's be honest, those are the times that I panic the most.

5. One will always be more adventurous than the other. I'd like to think of myself as a fairly adventurous person but that doesn't even come close to what my husband likes to do. This inevitably means that we make compromises when we travel. My husband's life long dream is the go cage diving with great white sharks in Cape Town, South Africa. This is a perfect example of when I'm definitely not as adventurous as he is. Cuddling up with tigers? Yes. Zip lining in the jungle? Why not? Swimming with whale sharks? Do you even have to ask? But Great White Sharks? I'll be in the boat documenting it all, thank you very much. Fair compromise right?

Needless to say; everyday is a new challenge, a new adventure, and a new story to be told. And we can't wait to see what happens next! If you liked this piece, check out my post about How to Travel Without Killing Each Other.

*this post was originally used as a guest post on The Nectar Collective

Saturday 14 September 2013

Overseas Packing

When packing up to live overseas, there is a weird balance of what to pack. You never know exactly what you'll need and you never know if you'll be able to find certain things where you're moving. We were allowed two 50 pound bags each but when you think of the clothes and housing items that you need to bring with, those 50 pounds might as well been 10. Also, we were told that the washers are not exactly the most gentle machines (I have the holy clothes to prove it). So we shouldn't bring out highest quality or most expensive clothes with.
What I did want to bring that was more expensive and high quality were hair appliances. I brought with me my hair straightener because even the cheaply made ones here are expensive and my curling iron; because those are just about impossible to come by where we live. I bought good brands because I wasn't sure that if they did break, if I would be able to replace them easily. I didn't want to chance it. So, needless to say that after almost three years of living abroad with the same straightener, I am long overdue for an upgrade and thankfully the people at Missiko agreed and sent me their Hanna Pro Flat Iron to try out.
And I have to say, this flat iron was rated so high for a reason! I'm not sure if it is because my old flat iron was so old, or maybe this thing really is just that good; but my hair has never felt better after using it. It straightened my slightly wavy hair easily and quickly without having to go over the same area twice like I have been doing with my previous appliance. And it left my hair silky and shiny, a rarity for my usual dry hair. One of my favorite parts about it though is how light it is! When we travel, every ounce counts and I have things like hair appliances talking up more weight and room than we have.

If you're in the market for anything from hair straighteners to blowdryers, then Missiko has got you covered. Check out their full selection here.

*product was given in exchange for a review however, all opinions are my own

Thursday 12 September 2013

Letters/67

Dear Korean Wedding, my husband officially survived his first wedding as a couple. I can't believe that it took almost three years to even attend a wedding together. You were so fun to go to even though I couldn't wrap my head around certain aspects of the ceremony like the smoke machine and bubbles while they said their vows. Dear Apartment, I'm grateful for the amount of room that we have and for just Jeremy and I, it's more than enough. But six people staying in a 700 square for apartment this next week might be pushing it.. Dear Grapefruits, I bought eight of you this weekend for $10. It's times like these that I miss my grandpa's house where he had a whole grove full of oranges, grapefruits and tangerines. Since moving abroad it's my mission to have a lime tree, grapefruit tree and avocado tree when we move back to the states. Dear Korea, thank you so much for having Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) it's a great excuse for yet another vacation. And this time we're heading out of town with Jeremy's family to Japan! For the first time I'll be wishing the weekend goes by fast so we can go already! Dear Students, you instantly get worried when I tell you that we're going to Japan next week because of another issue with a nuclear plant there. I tell you that it's ok and we'll pack our radioactive mask and suit....I think some of you actually believed me.

Tuesday 10 September 2013

The Lost Temples of Cambodia-Beng Malea & Phnom Bok

Phnom Bok Temple, siem reap cambodia
Phnom Bok Temple
If you've been following along for awhile, you know that Jeremy and I love to experience out of the ordinary destinations while on vacation. Whether it's swimming with whale sharks, road tripping across the country, or zip lining through the jungle, one of our favorite parts of traveling is finding places or activities not commonly stumbled upon. 

That's why we knew that once we saw all of the temples at Angkor, we also wanted to travel outside of the city to the 'Lost Temples'. These temples give a true Indiana Jones feel as most of it has ben left in ruins, the forest taking back claim to what was once theirs.

The first temple we visited was about an hour ride outside the city of Siem Reap called Beng Malea. It was a massive complex that was almost completely destroyed and overgrown with moss and trees. You had to crawl under and climb over the rubble at certain points to make it back to the clear path that was made just for tourists such as ourselves. 
Beng Malea Temple, siem reap cambodia
Beng Malea Temple, siem reap cambodia
Along the way, we inherited a tour guide. Three to be exact, even though two were too shy to say anything. We didn't really ask for one per say, he just immediately attached to our side once he saw us. Now, I realize that it's somewhat of a scam but I figured what's the harm to have a cute kid show us around for an hour or so? Even though all he did was point at all the statues and repeat the words 'flower' and 'apsara dancer'. He tried.
Beng Malea Temple, siem reap cambodia
My favorite part of the temples were the trees shooting out of the stone and the intricate detailed carvings that littered every inch of the temples. 
Beng Malea Temple, siem reap cambodia
Beng Malea Temple, siem reap cambodia
Beng Malea Temple, siem reap cambodia
The second temple, Phnom Bok, was just a short thirty minute ride outside of the city and was even more desolate than the first. We were the only tourists there exploring the grounds of the temple that sat at the top of a large hill. These are the stairs that we had to climb to get to the top...in about 90% humidity. Go early in the morning if you want to not faint on your way up!Phnom Bok Temple, siem reap cambodia
Phnom Bok Temple, siem reap cambodia
Even though this temple was the smallest that we saw, it was one of my favorites. How cool are the trees shooting up out of the rocks? I may be a little obsessed with the tree, rock combo. Just wait till you see our pictures from Ta Prohm.
Phnom Bok Temple, siem reap cambodia

Snail Mail Collective Partners + Everyday Happy Giveaway!

First things first. We have the next Snail Mail Collective Pairings up and ready to go! We had over 155 people sign up this month! Each month I love reading about your partners, seeing your tweets and the general excitement over meeting someone new. After all, I believe that's what blogging is all about. Not the numbers, not the hope of blogger fame, but the inevitable friendships that are made from people that were once perfect strangers. Click on the link below to find out who your partner for this month is!


Pairings are at the bottom of this post. Please take a moment to read the rules of this program and to figure out what to do next: 

1. The theme for this month is 'Back to School'

2. You have 72 hours to communicate with your partner. If your partner does NOT respond within 72 hours, please e-mail Chelsea at lostintravelsblog@gmail.com to be re-paired by 11pm PST on September 13th. Re-pairing requests will not be taken after this time.

3. You have about two weeks to get to know your partner. After that, your package MUST be sent by September 22nd. 

4. Your gift(s) should total no more than $5Think 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!

5. 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. 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!!

6. We did our best to pair you with someone from a different country. If your partner is from the same country as you, then we tried to put you with someone from a different state or region. If you didn't get an international partner, we hope you understand and still have a blast building a friendship with someone new! That's what this is all about, right? 



If you didn't sign-up for this round, but want to participate next month, look out for next month's sign-up form which will be posted on The Nectar Collective and Lost in Travels on October 1st. We'd love for you to join us!


--------------------

And secondly....Happy Tuesday Everyone!!  Today is a day to really be happy.  Today, my friends and I have come together to support our friends' (Erika and Melyssa) new project Everyday Happy - an ecourse to finding your happy, everyday!  We are so excited for them, the course and the lives that they will be reaching that we couldn't NOT put together a GIVEAWAY for all our our lovely readers.  We realize that some people would love the opportunity to participate in this course with these amazing ladies who are the coaches of this course, but may not be able to afford it financially.  We're sending one of you to participate in e-course FREE OF CHARGE!  Check out these 10 Reasons why you should enter this giveaway!


Stephanie | Victoria | Erika | Kayli | Mal | Crystal | Chelsea | Amanda | Kenzie | Aukele


This giveaway could not have been possible without my amazing sponsors and lovely friends so please say hello to them and visit their blogs!!


Now on to the giveaway!

Rules:

1. Upon verification of winning and required entry, the winner will be
contacted within 3 days after the contest closes.

2. Winner must respond within 48 hours of the email, or another
winner will be chosen (please add 91dash@gmail.com to your address book).

3. This contest is open internationally.

Have an amazing day!!
Aukele

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Monday 9 September 2013

Travel Tuesdays-Nepal

Just a little something to spark your wanderlust for the week.
via

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang