End of the Month Recap - March 2012

In March I only wrote 8 posts (counting this one).

I started planning what I wanted to write on the blog in a little book and tried to follow it. For the past week it hasn't really worked but it keeps me motivated and full of ideas!

Blog-vise I....
....finally did a photo an hour post, I had tremendous fun looking through the pictures in the end of the day. Just seeing that I had accomplished a lot even though I felt like I hadn't done a thing.

....wrote not just one but two Make-Up Monday's posts.

.....wrote a review of Foe by J.M Coetzee

.....updated the 24 Things To-Do Before My 24th Birthday list.

.....painted my nails and wrote about it.

.....talked about why I would like to lose 10kg


Outside the blog loads of things happened too!

We finally got a couch and my oh my is it comfortable!

South Park and Ugly Americans started again!

I lost 1.1kg (2.4lbs)

We took a big step in finally being fully moved in and comfortable (we still have some boxes lying around and are missing things like kitchen table and chairs and other knick-knacks.)

Make-Up Monday #2

Today's make-up is all about purple!

Skin - 

As usual I used the spf 40 sunblock from Clinique, I just can't stop praising it, it is really the best sunscreen I've ever bought! It is definitely worth the money! When I finish this bottle I am going to buy the spf 50! (Clinique, spf 30 - $19 and spf 50 - $19) 

Before 

To conceal my lovely pimple on my chin and the circles underneath my eyes (slept awfully!) I used Clinique Almost Powder Makeup. It is spf 15 and covers wonderfully! The shade I used is 01 Fair. I rarely use it for my entire face since I like having my freckles as visible as possible, I used it in this post over my entire face. Freckle power! (Clinique - $24)  

Eyes -

Eyeliner: I bought this eyeliner from Yves Rocher just last week. I've been lustfully looking at it for weeks and I finally bought it and I do NOT regret it, it is so smooth! It is called  Intense Eye Pencil - Ultra Long Lasting. The colour I have is only available in Europe at the moment (no idea why). It is called Violet Électrique, it is possible to buy it in Navy Green in the USA.

Yves Rocher - Navy Green - $3 (Violet Électrique - 6.90 Swiss Franc) 

Mascara: I have had this mascara for some time now, I never seem to be able to decide if I like it or not. I think  the brush on the mascara is just too big for my liking. I use it once in a while when I don't want to flashy eyelashes or when I just need a little bit to look fresh enough without looking like I have a lot of make-up on.

(Benefit - UK - £16.50; USA - $19)

Lips - 

I love this lip gloss! It's from Clinique (shockingly), it's called Vitamin C Lip Smoothie Antioxidant Lip Colour and the colour I use is number 05 and it is called Mango-thon. It is really smooth and makes my lips feel amazing!
(Clinique - $17.50) 

1. Yves Rocher Lip Gloss 2. Benefit Mascara 3. Yves Rocher Eye Pencil 

Please do look at my other Make-Up posts.

Weekly Weigh In - 10 Reasons Why I Want To Lose 10kg.

It's not a secret I would like to lose some weight. But what I haven't shared is why I would like to lose 10 kg (22lbs) this year.

As I mentioned on Wednesday  I am down to 76.3 kg (168.2 lbs) and on the 8th of March the scale read 76.7kg (169lbs). As you can see it is a very slow weight loss. It is still a weight loss because I was still 76.3kg this morning.

But what I wanted to write about today is the reasons why I would like to lose 10kg. I am going to write down one reason for each kilogram I would like to lose.

1. I want to be able to go into any store and not have to search forever for one thing in my size. As well to be able to order clothes online! 

2. Jeans, I love jeans, I want skinny jeans in different colours.

3. Boobs, I am hoping when I lose the weight my boobs might become smaller.

4. I want to look gorgeous for Mr. Handsome, he thinks I am perfect now but I know I can do better.

5. My knee, I've had a wonky knee since a ski accident when I was 11/12 years old. 

6. To be a good role-model, both for my future kids and the kids I am around now.

7. I want to wear my bikini proudly, and not having to worry that something will pop out of it.

8. Not having little kids ask me if there is a baby in my stomach.

9. Not having to worry about hitting the big 80kg (176lbs)

10. Having more energy and bounce in daily life.

My reasons might change during the journey, but my motto will stay the same: "Motto's are overrated"

Over and out

Book Review: Foe by J.M. Coetzee

I can't believe I haven't done a "Book of the Month" since July! I have been reading books but I just haven't been writing about them.

I had to read Foe for school, I don't think I would have picked it up otherwise. It's not that I dislike this book it is just that I can't stand books written in 1st person and this one is written that way. There is just too much of rambling and Foe is just rambling!

Foe is J.M Coetzee's answer to Robinson Crusoe (by Daniel Defoe) it is written around a woman named Susan Barton and her endeavors. In the beginning of the books she arrives to the same island Robinson and Friday are living on. They all embark on a journey to London, Robinson doesn't survive the trip.

In London Susan meets Mr. Foe (supposedly Daniel Defoe) and starts writing him letters, he never answers those letters. Susan goes to Mr. Foe's house and notices he has gone in hiding and starts living in his house and pretending she is his housekeeper.

The story isn't over then but I don't wanna ruin the surprises that are on the way.

Whilst reading the story I pitied Susan, she was just such a whiny little bastard! To add on everything she pretty much stalked Mr. Foe since he was supposed to make her famous.

A part of the book made me quite sick, that is the parts when Susan is (what I can only assume) being raped, first by Robinson and then later by Mr. Foe.

In this quote Susan woke up and realized Robinson was fondling her:

"I pushed his hand away and made to rise, but he held me. No doubt I might have freed myself, for I was stronger than he. But I thought, He has not known a woman for fifteen years, why should he not have his desire? So I resisted no more but let him do as he wished" (page 30)

Similar thing happened when she was with Mr. Foe

"Then he was up on me, and I might have thought myself in Cruso's arms again; for they were men of the same time of life, and heavy in the lower body, though neither was stout; and their way with a woman too was much the same. I closed my eyes, trying to find my way back to the island, to the wind and wave-roar; but no, the island was lost, cut off from me by a thousand leagues of watery waste." (page 139)

I find these quotes describe Susan's character quite well, she just doesn't really care things just seem to happen to her.

I would recommend to read this book, it's sadly not available for kindle but it can be bought at Amazon.com   for $10.44

24 Things To Do Before My 24th Birthday - 108 days later

108 days ago I made this list, it was my birthday and I just really wanted a kick start! I like birthdays resolutions more than new year resolutions! I decided to share the list here a little bit more than a month after my birthday and today I just wanted to update the list a bit.

Things that are green are actually finished (2)
Things that are yellow are really in progress (11)
Things that are red are not even happening (11)

1. Change schools
I have applied to a new school and am just waiting for what they will say, so it's out of my hands and in the hands of the school people.

2. Learn how to write in Arabic

I haven't started to learn how to write in Arabic, I need to look at what books I should buy. I was thinking about joining my sister in her Arabic class but in the end it would have been way to hard since it would have been just in French. 

3. Learn better French (I am on level B1 now)

I am learning little bit of French everyday just by being here, there is French all around me and I do talk to people here and I do read some news papers. What I want to do is start working in the French workbooks that I have and start learning better grammar.

4. Start a Handmade Shop

I can't say I am working on this at all, I have couple of things in my head that I would like to make. I just need to start doing it. What we do need is a table where I can sew on and cut fabrics and all that.

5. Knit a sweater

I am almost done with my sweater! It might not fit me but it is gorgeous! I have finished the body and am working on the sleeves at the moment.

6. Find an apartment

It is nice to have something green on this list! We actually have a new apartment that I am deeply in love with! I will probably post some pictures of it when we are 100% settled in!

7. Grow some herbs

I started this one in January and they all died! Soon I will try again and this time they will (hopefully) survive! 

8. Take 52 outfit pictures

This hasn't happened yet but it definitely will! I really want to do this! I am ready to show the world how bland and normal I dress!

9. Lose 10 kg (22 lbs)

This is actually happening! I started as 77.5 kg (170.9 lbs) and as of this morning I was 76.3kg (168.2lbs). 1.2kg (2.6lbs) gone, 8.8kg (19.4lbs) left. 

10. Cook 52 different recipes

I have started to cook more and I quite enjoy cooking. I didn't really think this one through in the way of how I would count how many recipes I would cook. I think this will be counted in how many recipes I will write about here. That way it is easier for me to see how I am doing with this one. 

11. Knit 52 different things

Since I am counting the sweater I am making in this I can say I am almost finished with one thing! It's going fine in that sense I have already decided what I will knit next so when the sweater is finished I don't need to be inspired to figure out what I should make.  

12. Needlepoint 12 different things

I haven't even started this. Why? No freaking idea! I have thought of tons of things I want to do but I just haven't started.

13. Sew 52 different things

The reason I haven't started this is because we don't have a table that I can work on. To be fair, we don't have any table at all! When I will get a table I will start sewing!

14. Write a short story

I still write quite a lot and I am working on an old short story that I never finished, I won't count that one for this because I want to write something new with new ideas.  

15. Stop eating milk products

This is another complicated one, I have started to eat more of lactose free products. I don't know how I should do this because I really just don't know how do it. 

16. Set up a workplace for me

This has started in the sense that I have decided where the kitchen table will be and I have organized my yarn stash and fabric stash! 

17. Take 52 make up pictures (13.01.12,) (19.03.12) 

2 down 50 to go! I enjoy doing these so I don't think this will be a problem. I need to work on taking better swatch photos.

18. Get a bike

I am not seeing this happening until earliest next summer/autumn. I can't see it would fit into the elevator in the apartment building and I don't want to keep it outside in this neighborhood.  

19. Visit the East-Cost of the USA

This might or might not happen this summer. It would be a dream if it would happen! 

20. Save some money (around 2600 chf)

I am trying to save some money but there have been couple of big expenses that I needed to tackle, I think soon I will be able to put certain amount of money in my other account and start some serious saving. I read somewhere that and easy way to save some money was to transfer smaller amounts into your savings account that you wouldn't really notice were gone but you would start noticing that they were saved up. I'm starting to do that! 

21. Have 400 twitter followers - follow me here  (57 (13.01.12),54 (21.03.12) )

I actually lost 3 twitter followers since I posted the list! >.< 

22. Turn this blog into a webpage

I haven't started this one but I have a time when I will. I have started to think how I plan the webpage to look like. I will be making some changed to this page for the next weeks to make it more to my liking. I don't like how it looks right now but I am not sure how to change it. 

23. Stop using shampoo and conditioner

The second green thing on this list, I am quite proud of this one. I really managed to stop using shampoo and conditioner, it wasn't even hard at all. I stopped on my birthday  (108 days ago) and I haven't looked back. I love it! My hair is so much better and my scalp has finally stopped being such a hassle. Mr. Handsome stopped as well and his hair has stopped falling out as much as it used to! All in all: AMAZING!

24. Grow a lemon grass plant. 

I put some lemon grass stalks in water some weeks ago and they are growing super fast! I posted a picture of one of them here and since then the roots have been growing every day. They will soon be ready to be put in dirt. I think at the same time when I will put them in dirt I will plant some seeds for the herbs as well. 

So here is where I stand. I am hoping for the next 100 days I will manage to have all of them in yellow and more in green. I am quite happy how much I have accomplished in these 108 days. I am planning to have a short post about one of these every Wednesdays so that the list will be stuck in my head. 

Nail Polish: Forever 21 - Love and Beauty - Scented - Dark Purple

I own quite a lot of Nail Polishes and I want to talk about them!

I bought this one in Austin, Tx this summer in Forever 21. It is supposed to smell like passion fruit but I find it smells more like bubble gum. The colour is supposed to be dark purple but when it is not in direct sunlight (like on the pictures) it is more of brown/black.

It was as well a pain to get on the nails, I don't think it is very visible in these pictures but there are spots where the nail polish just didn't stay on.

The nail varnish is messy as hell on these pictures, I started cleaning around the nails but I ran out of nail polish remover. A big "duh" move! So, my nails are a bit messy.

I can't decide if I like this colour or not, it just so bland. I can see myself using it if I would work in an office or somewhere where happiness isn't allowed.

Toodleoo

Make-up Monday

The "tool kit"

I like writing about make-up. Let's make that I LOVE writing about make-up, therefore I plan on starting a weekly make-up post. YAY!


Skin - today I only used sunscreen, it is getting quite sunny here therefore I use spf 40 every day. I love the one from Clinique, it does not make my skin oily or my pores clogged, one other thing that is a big plus for me is that it does spread out easily and doesn't leave any white marks on the skin! (Amazon - $28.16)

Clinique Sunscreen

Eyes - since last time I had more prominent lips I decided this time to focus more on my eyes.

My eye shadow is from Yves Rocher, it is from the Couleurs Natural section. The colour I chose is number 52 and is called Turqouise Réséda, as you can see on the swatch below it is very light and dreamy. I don't know why I haven't used it more often
(well I do know it was lost in a box and I just found it again). (Yves Rocher - $7.50)

My eyeliner is from L'Oréal Paris, it is from the Contour Kôhl section and the colour is 132 metallic grey. I can't seem to find it on any reliable English webpages but they do sell it on the German amazon   page. (Amazon - EUR 5.49 (around $7))

The mascara (that  I just finished) is from Max Factor, I can say with ease that it is not something I will buy again. The fact is, I am extremely picky with mascaras and this one from Max Factor isn't my cup of tea. It doesn't make my eyelashes shockingly gorgeous so why bother? Anyways, it is the Lash Extension Effect in black. (Amazon - $14.23)

Today I decided to have very calm lips, these days my go-to for simple lips is the Universal Lip Glow from L'Oréal Paris, it is from their Studio Secrets Professional selection and I LOVE IT!! I loved it when I saw a picture and a review of it when it first came out. The problem was it didn't come out so soon in Switzerland. I waited and waited what seemed to be forever after it would hit the stores here and finally right before Christmas it was here! (Boots - £8.49 ($14))

The Swatches - Click on the picture for a bigger picture

Before

After

Photo an hour - Thursday the 8th of March.

I have wanted for a while now to do a photo an hour post. On Thursday it was the first time I actually managed to remind myself to take a photo once every hour! Usually I forget to start or I start and forget myself and before I know it the day is over and I don't even have two pictures.

I wasn't planning on doing the photo an hour on Thursday but as I was running to pick up my nephew I decided that today would be the day. I didn't have my camera with me but I did have my Blackberry so I quickly snapped a photo!

Here it is:

9am - Picking up my nephew and heading back home we saw this umbrella art that was in recognition to the International Women's Day. 

 10am - wooohoo down to 76.7 kg (169 lbs). I was surprised since I haven't been exercising at all! 

 11am - My lemongrass plants are rooting like crazy! I sadly had to trow one on the stalks away since it was about to start rotting. 

12pm - reading through my sometimes favorite food magazine, I have mixed feelings about it. It is awesome and then when you cook recipes that are in them you don't think it is as awesome. They are very misleading and you just want to cry. But more of that later!

 1pm - my nephew doing his homework. He was almost finished!

 2pm - knitting as well known as calmness and me time. 

3pm - made banana-yogurt-shake for the boys (the nephew and Mr. Handsome)

4pm - cutting my split ends. I finally found my hair scissors and could attack the serious amount of split ends. My hair feels much better already even though I didn't manage to cut them all away. 

 5pm - putting away laundry, the closet is still almost empty since all the clothes are still in boxes!

6pm - quickly put some nail hardener on, I am growing my nails out again after writing a final essay (I bite my nails when I am stressed writing final essays)

7pm -heading to the store to buy a birthday present for my dad! It gets dark here early even though it is almost spring.

 8pm - my favorite part of the mall we went to - Herman's tortoises, this one looked at me when I came over and just begged me to take it with me. 

9pm - cooking dinner

 10pm - finally ready to go in the oven! This is a recipe from the March issue of the Vegetarian magazine. They said it would take 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook. That is load of bullshit. Pardon my language. I started at 9pm and it went in the oven at 10pm.

11pm - and finally ready! Still not as ready as it was supposed to be but I was starving, and the worst thing was it had almost no taste! ANNOYING! 

So that was my day! 

xoxo