And I splurged on: Daniel Wellington, Classic Oxford Lady
I have been following Sara du Jour on tumblr for quite sometime now. I love her impeccable, feminine style, but emulate it, I cannot. Most of the time, I wistfully look over her purchases and wish I had been blessed with that kind of style sense. But I digress. ;D A few weeks ago she posted about a new purchase, a Classic Oxford Lady by Daniel Wellington, that I just could not look away from. I had been meaning to buy a watch for quite sometime now and I had never heard of Daniel Wellington before then, so I visited their site and oh my, what a wondrous collection of watches! For both men and women. They all had just that right amount of preppy, laid-back elegance that I love. Now, if you have been following me for sometime, you’d know that I acquired an internship with Microsoft back in November, so thankfully had some money saved up that way. And it’s a good thing too. These watches are not cheap. They’re pretty and they cost a pretty penny too. After a lot of deliberating, I plucked up the courage and ordered the same that Sara got, Classic Oxford Lady in rose gold. I have to say she helped me decide which one to get. I am absolutely terrible when it comes to deciding between things. ;-D
The great thing about Daniel Wellington is that they ship worldwide from Sweden, where they are based, so I didn’t have to get it from Amazon (which would have set me back about twice the amount, by the way). And I got a neat discount after I signed up on their site. The watch arrived in exactly 12 weekdays after I made the purchase, just like it says on the website. (I love these guys!)
Snappy case, isn’t it?
And this is what was inside…
Please do excuse the horrendous quality of my pictures.
And lastly,
A beauty, isn’t she? I could have never not bought her.
The thing I love about this watch is the nato strap, instead of your regular leather strap. Interesting tid-bit about the nato strap: During WWII, Royal Navy divers used to wear them over their wet suits to prevent rusting. But of course, being an Anglophile, the absolute best thing about DW watches is how each watch is intimately tied to the British isles.
Yes, the price was an issue but like Sara so rightly put it, a good quality watch is an investment. ;-)
So, if you fancy this watch or would like to take a look at the others in their fab collection, head on over to their site. I absolutely swear by DW now. I shall be buying from them again, perhaps this. But it has to wait a few more months. :-D
Volunteered at the Booksessed Bahrain used books fair today AND came away with an armful of books. Feeling very pleased with myself.
I’m Volunteering Again!
Absolutely jazzed to be volunteering again. My last stint was in June/July last year, where I was teaching kids at summer camp. This time it’s even better. I’ll be helping out with Booksessed Bahrain, a used books sale! And in Bahrain too! Don’t have many of those happening here. I’m so looking forward to this. Books are my one true love. And nothing can be better than to be selling folks books (a la Kathleen Kelly in ‘You’ve Got Mail’. And THAT’S one of my all-time favorite movies!). The fair will be this Friday and Saturday (weekend in Bahrain), at Seef Mall. And it starts at 10 am in the morning and finishes at 9 pm. If you are in Bahrain and would like to come check out some books, you’ll find us between Cafe Italia and Zara.
Date A Girl Who Travels
Date a girl who travels. Date a girl who would rather save up for out of town trips or day trips than buy new shoes or clothes. She may not look like a fashion plate, but behind that tanned and freckled face from all the days out in the sun, lies a mind than can take you places and an open heart that will take your for what you are, not for what you can be.
Date a girl who travels. You’ll recognize her by the backpack she always carries. She won’t be carrying a dainty handbag, where will she put her travel journal, her pens and the LED flashlight that’s always attached to her bag’s zipper? In a small purse, how can she bring the small coil of travel string, the wet tissues, the box of cracker, and the bottle of water she’s always ready with, just in case something happens and she can’t go home yet.
Yes, a girl who travels knows that anytime, anything can happen and she just has to be prepared with it. Nothing takes her by surprise, she takes everything with equanimity, knowing that such things are always a part of life. She’s reliable and dependable, traits that she’s learned while on the road.
You’ll also recognize a girl who travels by the fact that she’s always amazed at the world around her, no matter if she’s in her hometown or in a place that’s totally new. She sees beauty all around her, not just the ones featured in travel guides or shown in postcards. A girl who travels has developed a deeper appreciation for life. She won’t judge you, or pressure you to do things you don’t want to do. She knows too much about the importance of identity and self-efficacy, and she will appreciate all the more if you won’t pretend to be who you’re not.
You can make mistakes with a girl who travels, and you can also be as idiosyncratic as you can be. Trust me, she has seen so much worse in her travels, and knows firsthand the vagaries of human nature.
Date a girl who travels, because when you’re with her, you’ll realize that even though she’s napped at a temple in Angkor Wat, went boating down the Mekong Delta, ran by the streets of Saigon, or went skinny-dipping in the caves in the Philippines, she still retains that humility that is the mark of a real traveler. She knows she’s been to a lot of places, but she’s humbled by the fact that the world is still a big places and she’s only seen a small part of it. Seeing this in her can make you feel all right with yourself too; there’s no need for you to do more, to be more. What you are is enough.
When you meet a girl who travels, ask her where she’s been and what she’s going to do next. She will appreciate your interest, and if you’re lucky, she may even invite you to join her. When she does, do. Nothing bonds people better than travelling. On your tríp, you will both see each other’s best and worst characteristics, and you can then decide whether she’s worth fighting for.
It’s easy enough to date a girl who travels. She won’t want expensive gifts, you can buy her (or both of you) cheap ticket to Thailand for the weekend, and she’ll be more than happy to take you to the longest wooden bridge in the country. You don’t even have to go overseas, you can take her out on day trips, caving or hiking, or treat her to a full body massage.
You can also buy her the little things that she keeps forgeting to buy for herself; that carabiner that will attach her backpack to her seat so that she will feel easier about sleeping on her bus trip, or a backpack cover, a small alarm clock, a money belt, or many another sarong that will replace the one she lost in China.
She won’t mind if you get lost on your way to a date. She knows that often times, the journey is more important than the destination. She will help you see the lighter side of things. She’ll walk along with you, not behind you, pointing out the interesting bits of things you’ll see on the way. Before long, you’ll realize that yes, the journey has been more memorable than the destination that you’ve planned to take her to.
Is a girl who travels worth it? Yes, she is. So when you find her, keep her. Don’t lose her with your insecurities and doubts. Because when she says she loves you, she really does. After all, she’s seen so many things, met so many people, and if she has chosen you, better grab that opportunity and thank the gods that you were lucky enough she’s chosen you and not that bloke she met while watching the sunrise in Angkor Wat, or while whitewater rafting in the Padas Gorge in Sabah.
If she says she loves you, she must have seen something in you, something that can always call her back from her travels, something that can anchor her to the world in the way that she wants to after weeks and months of being on the road.
Date a girl who travels. Make her feel safe, warm and secure. Make her believe that no matter where she goes, and however long she’s gone, you’ll always be there for her, the one that she can call home.
Find a girl who travels. Date her, love her. and marry her, and your world will never be the same again.
"The fact of the matter is that the only thing holding us back from living the lives of our dreams is ourselves. If you can dream it, you can make it happen. The road may be long and hard, but there are always people who will help you along the way and in the end you’ll be able to take a step back and say to yourself, ‘Wow, I’m here. I finally did it. And all it took was that one push.’"
I’m in love with this. If only Sofia Coppola would direct my life.
15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy
Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:
1. Give up your need to always be right. There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?”Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?
2. Give up your need for control. Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.
“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu
3. Give up on blame. Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.
4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk. Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.
“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.”Eckhart Tolle
5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!
“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle
6. Give up complaining. Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.
7. Give up the luxury of criticism. Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.
8. Give up your need to impress others. Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take of all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.
9. Give up your resistance to change. Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell
10. Give up labels. Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer
11. Give up on your fears. Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
12. Give up your excuses. Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.
13. Give up the past. I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.
14. Give up attachment. This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another, attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.
15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations. Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves. You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.
In Honor of St. Patrick’s Day: My Favorite (Irish) Things
By Stephanie Spitler
Somehow, it’s almost the middle of March already. Seriously guys, wasn’t it JUST Christmas, like, a week ago? Time is flying, and spring is right around the corner. And you know what that means—if spring is just about here, then it’s time for that annual rite of green beer and parades. Yes, it’s almost St. Patrick’s Day. So put on your sparkly shamrock antennae and shamrock-shaped green sunglasses, and sip a shamrock shake (possibly the best thing about March). Rock every shade of green as you read about all things Irish.
I thought it might be fun to take a virtual tour of some of my favorite Irish sights, since I’m not independently wealthy and can’t buy us all tickets to Dublin. Everyone knows about the Blarney Stone, but I thought I’d concentrate on some other aspects of the Emerald Isle.
Giant’s Causeway: This natural wonder is in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, but it’s worth the trip if you can do it (I should know; I day-tripped it from Dublin and it was looong, but it was one of the highlights of my entire vacation). Natural basalt columns rise from the water, just begging for kids (and adults) to scamper over them. It’s a beautiful natural wonder, and whether you agree with the scientific version of how it was created, or indulge your sense of whimsy and go the Finn MacCool route, it’s something to see.
Howth cliff walk: The seaside village of Howth is more than just picturesque boats and winding streets. There’s a gorgeous walking path that loops around the cliffs there. Admittedly, it took some convincing for me to agree to the jaunt (especially after reading the wind warnings that said you could get blown off of the cliff), but it was gorgeous. You feel like you’re in a Victorian novel, traveling back in time, wandering along a lonely but beautiful road. I didn’t meet any mysterious strangers, but you might get lucky.
Wicklow Mountains: Feeling the need to get away from the hustle and bustle of Dublin for a few hours, I went on a tour of the Wicklow Mountains. This was the Ireland I’d imagined…rolling hills in a hundred shades of green, tiny white cottages, even an ancient monastery with Celtic crosses. If you can’t get over to the fabled west of the country, Wicklow will give you a taste of the countryside.
Trinity College library: I love books. I love libraries. And when I entered the Trinity College library, I knew I had found my perfect spot. Beautiful wooden arches line the main room, with two floors of books rising high above you. The smell of old paper fills the room, and I was tempted to apply to Trinity College right then, just so I could hang out in the library for a few years.
Butlers Chocolate Café: I have it on very good authority that the hot chocolate here is TO.DIE.FOR. I didn’t know about this spot when I was in Ireland, but the glowing reviews from a friend who lived in Dublin has me seriously considering booking a flight soon, just to sample it myself. It’s completely logical to base travel plans around chocolate, right
