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Monday, December 8, 2014

"That's so gay"

Today I wanted to talk about a more serious issue on my blog. Recently Connor Franta posted his coming out video. I wanted to first say a huge congratulations to Connor and commend you on your courage. It couldn't have been an easy thing to do.


In light of his video, it reminded me about how people all around me use the word gay in a derogatory way and I hate it and I wanted to bring it up on my blog today.
"OMG I've got so much homework" "That's so gay" I don't know whether it is just a New Zealand thing but I hear people saying that all the time and I hate it. It makes me cringe and I'm not even gay. You don't have to be gay to feel this way, just human. Don't say something is gay when you mean dumb or stupid. 

The way people use the phrase, "That's so gay" makes the word gay seem like such a negative word. It carries such a negative connotation in that sentence and makes it even harder for people to come out when people talk about gay in such a negative way. The best way for me to explain it is imagine if the word gay was replaced with your name and people went around saying, "Look at that ugly painting. That's so Sam" or "Ew That  hairstyle is so James" (sorry to all the sam and james' out there, i was just trying to make a point. )
I know that it just happens naturally and no one really takes a second notice but maybe it is time that someone did. I've heard people (boy and girl) saying "That's so gay" casually in conversations for a long time. It might just be a word but to someone who is struggling with their sexuality - it represents years of discrimination, bullying and oppression. 

Just a point that I wanted to make in today's blog. Comment below any thoughts you have on today's topic. Love you.Zoe





Sunday, December 7, 2014

DIY paint chip Christmas card



I love making personalised Christmas cards. Recently I ran out of coloured card stock and decided to use paint chips instead.  I saw this idea on pinterest and I fell in love with the design it is great if you have lots of friends and families you want to give cards to and don't want to spend the money buying cards.



What you'll need:
1. Glue
2. Green paint chips
3. Scissors.
4. Card stock in the colour of yor choice

Step 1:
Cut out the card stock into the size card you want and fold it in half. 

Step 2:
Choose three different shades of green to create an ombré look and cut them out. 


Then glue them onto a scrap piece of paper so they are all connected together. This step is optional but I find it easier to cut the Christmas tree shape.


Step 3:
Measure the middle of the top colour. Then draw a line to the corner of the bottom colour  and repeat on the otherside creating a big triangle. 




Step 4: 
Glue the triangle onto your card stock and decorate it however you want. I glued some sparkly sequins on the top and added some glitter! 


And voila! Comment below if you make this for Christmas. Let me know how it goes. I would love to see them. 

Writing letters to future self

I can't believe I am so close to being finished with high school. Just a few more days left. As part of a whole year group school project we are supposed to write letters to ourselves which will be placed in a time capsule and re-opened in 15 years.

15 years is a long time. I can't even imagine my life one year later, let alone 15 years. So that's what I did today.

Writing this letter made me very teary because the past 17 years of my life has been pretty amazing. I can't complain.  I've been lucky enough to go to a good school, have a great family and made some incredible friends.

This letter was really difficult for me to write because I don't have any expectations of myself in 15 years. Will I be married, have kids? Did I end up studying engineering? What will my job be? Please let me have a job and a dog. I really really want a dog.

The truth is if I open my letter in 15 years and my life is completely different to how I thought it would be, I am completely okay with that.

I am excited to open that letter in 15 years. I highly recommend doing this because it is just cool to see how your life changed.

Comment below if you've done this before and how it went for you.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Quote of the day

I'm starting a new series called quote of the day where I basically pick a quote that stands out to me and over analyse it, pretending I'm an English student when in reality I dropped English in year 11.

I spend way too much time looking at quotes of Tumblr,  pinterest and we heart it (dont deny it) but I just love how much they connect with me. Plus I've always been a sucker for cheesy quotes. We all need a little cheese in our lives (I prefer my cheese on pizza though).

The quote of today is


This one jumped at me since I just finished my NCEA  exams forever! 

I still can't believe that I am done with high school. It's been a crazy 13 years of my life and like the quote says, it was worth it in the end. 
Back to the quote, this one has a really special place in my heart because I was such a nerd in high school.  Looking back I probably spent way too much time on academics and didn't get out enough. But I don't regret anything because all the studying really paid off and I am so proud of my grades and everything. I spent weeks studying and giving up my social life but now it feels great, knowing that I did as much as I could and I am free for a whole 3 months! I can't wait. In saying that though, I still made some amazing friends who I know will be my friends for the rest of my life. I can't wait for my life after school! 

Shout out to my fellow high school  graduates of 2014. Comment below how you feel about being finished with high school and for the rest of your life!

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Moon cake Festival

It's nearly time for moon cake! I love mid autumn festival- it is a time where us Chinese come together to celebrate autumn and good food! It is always held on 15th of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. I recently got given some moon cake from family friends and wanted to share this with everyone. I love moon cake - it is basically pastry filled with delicious Chinese fillings. The one that I ate was filled with red bean which is my favourite filling. Others fillings included egg and chia seeds, and nuts but I prefer the red bean. It is nice, sweet and really creamy! 







Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Japanese donburi for dinner

Yesterday for dinner we had a couple of friends over and we decided to indulge in some Japanese food. We actually ended up getting takeaway from this place in the city called Ramen Do- Real Japanese. I love Japanese Food and I have never really found a good donburi. Sure I've had lots of great sushi but never a good donburi place but I think I've finally found it. Ramen Do- You rock! The price is also quite reasonable. I had a GrabOne Coupon but original price is only $12 bucks I think which is a bargain for good food and you get a really big bowl. I'm really impressed.  In case you don't know what donburi is, it is basically rice with some salad and lots of meat. You can get chicken, fish, pork and lots of other delicious toppings.

Check out their website if you like Japanese Food-http://www.ramendo.co.nz/menu

I got the Karrage Chicken Donburi which was so freaking good.It was basically deep fried chicken in soy sauce and it was so amazing. The chicken was really nice and not overcooked.


 
My friend actually go the Katsu donburi which is deep fried pork cutlets and it looks so good. She let me try some and it was really good. I preferred the chicken but the pork was nice and cripsy and had a great balance of salt and sweet.



Monday, August 11, 2014

Glittery Prom Nails

These are the nails I wore to my school ball/prom. I actually did this myself an it went really well with my dress. I wore a white dress with a sparkly sweetheart neckline. Comment below if you want to see the dress and shoes that I wore. I love anything that is sparkly so I love these nails so much. 

I used the Sally Hansen pulled sugar is the shade 260. I applied about 2 coats of this since it is quite sheer but super shimmery! I love it so much.


 Then I applied one coat of revlon sequins which is just a chunky glitter polish. I still haven't found many ways to wear this yet but I love it paired with Sally Hansen pulled sugar!






Please ignore the chip on the ring finger. I took the photo on the day after the ball and with all the crazy dancing my nails got a little chipped.

Microwave poached egg- Quick and Easy

I love eggs. I love eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner and I don't care how its cooked- omelette, scrambled, poached, whatever, I will eat it. My favourite way to eat eggs is definitely poached. I love it when I cut into the egg and the runny yolk oozes out- so delicious.The annoying thing about poaching an egg is that it takes so long and in the mornings before school I just don't have the time to poach an egg since I'm too lazy to get up early. Recently I figured out how to poach an egg in the microwave and it literally takes 3 minutes. Less if you are speedy unlike me who is like a slug in the mornings. This is such a great idea that will save your mornings if you love poached eggs like me
Quick tips to the perfect poached egg:
1. Add vinegar to the water before you crack the egg. The vinegar will help keep the egg from separating.
2. Always use fresh eggs since they will less likely separate.
3. Add the salt after the egg has been poached because adding salt to the egg while it is uncooked will cause it to separate.

If you liked this please comment and share with your friends.

Step 1: Fill a bowl with water to about 1/4 of the way and crack and egg into the bowl.
If you like your yolk to be runny just leave it the way it is but if you want your egg yolk to be cooked then use a tooth pick to poke a few holes into the yolk.


Step 2: Place the bowl into the microwave and microwave for about 45 seconds to 1minute and 15 seconds.  The time that you microwave it for will depend on how strong your microwave is and how runny you like your egg to be. I personally suggest microwaving the egg for 30 seconds and checking on it and then microwaving it in 15 second increments until it is done. The first time you do it you have to experiment with the timing but after that it is so easy. For my microwave I microwave my egg for exactly 55 seconds which gives me a nice gooey yolk. 



And Voila. One easy peasy poached egg in the microwave. It does not get any easier than this!


I personally like to eat my poached egg on a piece of nice buttery bread.
 


DIY lyric art- Katy Perry's Part of me

Whenever I need a little bit of sassy inspiration this is the song that I always turn to. These lyrics come from Katy Perry's Part of Me- yes I know that its a little old but I was listening to my ipod the other day and this song came up just when I was feeling down. This song reminds me of my holiday to Rotorua a couple of years ago because it had just come out and I was constantly listening to it. It's funny how a certain song can bring back memories of a certain time or place and this song does that to me. I remember lugeing (the Rotorua Luge is the best Luge ever), and relaxing in the spa pools. More than that though, this song is just so sassy and empowering you can't help but love it. It is just a fun song that I love to dance to in my room with the doors shut and music blasting. 

I am a little bit disappointed with how the colours turned out- obviously I need to get some better pens.
If you like this please share it with your friends. Comment below if what lyrics you want me to do next.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Song for Everyone - For Everyone FirstXV

I recently heard this song floating around my facebook feed and I instantly fell in love with it.
It's a charity song  raising money for the For Everyone Charitable Foundation. The foundation was created rugby players Ali Williams, Dan Carter and Richie McCaw and since I am such a big rugby lover, I have always supported the foundation. The foundation helps small community projects.

Check out their website: http://foreveryone.org.nz/

The song is sung by a number of New Zealand musicians and a small For Everyone kids choir. Some of my favourite New Zealand artists are part of this cool project including Stan Walker, Moorhouse, Jackie Thomas and more. I also saw glimpses of Kimberly Crossman, Dan Carter and lots of famous New Zealanders which is really cool. I love this song so much. I think that the song is really catchy and fun and totally New Zealand. It has a reggae/hip hop vibe with a hint of pop so it is perfect for everyone.

Please check this song out and if you like it, please buy it on itunes because the money goes towards a really good cause. 



Korean Face mask haul

I love using face masks so much. They make me feel luxurious and relaxed but I haven't found any good brands for a reasonable price in New Zealand. My friend came back from Korea last week and I asked her to get me some of my favourite face masks. 
She picked up quite a few new types for me that I have never tried before. My favourite brand for face masks are Dr Pharm but I have no idea where to get them from in New Zealand. If you know where to get them from in New Zealand please let me know. I also got a Leaders Insolution brand face mask and a Etude House one which I have never used before but it looks really good. I typically use the snail essence one which I find is really smooth and silky on my skin. The face masks types I got are pearl, pomegranate, hyaluronic acid, aloe, honey, green tea, tea tree and snail essence. They look so colourful and inviting and I'm really excited try these. I know that honey, aloe, green tea and tea tree are really good for the skin but I am really curious to try the pearl, pomegranate and that random acid one.

Comment below if you would like a review on these face masks. 















Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Nails of the day- #NOTD

Finally got my lazy butt out of bed and painted my nails. I chose this bright blue colour with a hint of shimmer. I love this colour because even though it is quite sheer after two coats it looks so beautiful and since it is quite sheer with one coat you can't really see any mistakes which I always have on my right hand. This shade is ice cocktail by Gade. I really live their polishes- they are just so smooth and easy to apply!

Comment below what your favourite nail polish shades are and I will be sure to check them out. 




Monday, August 4, 2014

Top 5 skincare products for winter

 When it comes to winter we all know that skincare takes priority. I don't know about you but my skin gets so dry in winter and with dry skin comes itchy patches and pimples. So here are my top five skincare products.


1.My favourite cleanser for the winter time is Cetaphil gentle cleanser. I find it very gentle on my face which is great because in winter my face tends to break out and I need something that will clean my face without irritating it. This cleanser is a little pricey for a cleanser- I got my from the supermarket for $22 but I think it is great for problematic skin! This is a product I trust 100% because this was actually recommended to me by my dermatologist when I was having really bad skin. 




2. My next favourite skin product is the Victoria Secret lotion. It smells so delicious that I always get compliments on how I smell when I use it. I actually got this as a gift from my dad when he went to America so  I don't know where to get this in New Zealand. If you know where to get Victoria Secret stuff in New Zealand please let me know! Additionally the lotion is very moistuizing and is great for hands. I keep mine beside by sink so after I wash my hands I remember to use it. I don't know about you but in winter my hands are the first to show signs of drying- in summer I can get away with less moisturising but not in winter! Definitely check his lotion out if you are looking for a good one!


3. I know that typically oil blotting sheets are used in summer but I find that i still need to use them in winter. I really love these Za oil blotting sheets! In the winter I still find my face getting oily which I cannot understand how my face can be dry and oily at the same time! Someone please explain that to me! I love using these at school because they are super convenient to carry around at school since they are super small! More importantly these do a great job keeping my face matte without breaking me out! 




4. Next up is the Estée Lauder nutritious night mask! When I first discovered this I instantly fell in love with it! I call this my miracle cream to my family and I have actually got my brother and my mum hooked onto this cream. It is so moisturising and great for the skin. I put it on a night twice a week and I wake up with flawless skin! It takes away any redness and smoothed out my faces. If there is one product you try this has to be it. I know that it is quite high end but it is definitely worth it. 


5. I don't know about you but working out and winter is my least favourite combination! I don't like working out as it is but add in the cold and rainy winter I hate working out even more. One thing that makes it better slightly is the Estée Lauder radiant energy lotion! I love to use this after I work out because combined with the natural goodness of working out this lotion gives my face a quick boost. I like to think of this as a quick fix to making my face more presentable after working out. It is not as moisturising as other lotions but it gives my face a healthy glow and lift! Sometimes I also like to use this in the morning to make myself look more awake and fully of energy when in reality I actually pulled an all nighter on my maths assignment! 




Saturday, August 2, 2014

Music Mania Monday- songs of the month

Here are my top 3 songs of the month. Comment below your top 3 songs of the month and I will be sure to check them out because I am always on the look out for new music.

1. Salute- Little Mix

This is the perfect summer anthem! This is one of those songs that the more you listen to the better it gets. I love the upbeat chorus. It just makes me want to dance around and scream to. I actually have this song on my workout playlist because it just gets me pumping and excited to work out. I also love Little Mix and their music and I love girl power music. This is  one of my favourite songs to listen to on road trips and whenever it comes on the radio, I always sing the song at the top of my lungs!
The music video is super fitting for the song because it's a lot more mature than their other music but the dancing as usual is amazing. Definitely check this song and music video out if you haven't!





Try- Colbie Caillat
I first discovered this song after I read an article on the song in Dolly magazine. The moment I saw the music video and heard the song I fell in love. This song has been on repeat constantly this month. I love the meaning of this song and I think he lyrics are just so beautiful. My favourite line is "Do you like you?". That lyric really relates to me because I have always been self conscious and insecure. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be pretty and skinny and I was really unhappy with myself. That is why I love this song so much. It reminds me to live myself the way I am because it's my life. 
I have been a big fan of Colbie Caillat since her song bubbly came out a couple of years ago. I love her summery simple melody with beautiful lyrics. She is a huge inspiration and more female artists should be promoting self confidence in girls.
I also love the video concept. At the beginning we have Colbie and a range of women wearing lots of makeup and they slowly reveal themselves without makeup through the video. I have to say that Colbie looks beautiful without makeup as well as the other girls! I just wish they had shown some Asian girls in the video but I commend them for having a wide range of ages and ethnicities. It is a breath of fresh air in the pop music world!



Somebody to you-The Vamps ft Demi Lovato
This song has been all over the radio and the pop world and there is a reason for that- IT IS SO DAMN CATCHY! It is the perfect summer dance party song because it is so upbeat and fun. I also love Demi Lovato- She is just a goddess in this music video. She looks so beautiful and I wish she had more lines because her voice fits perfectly with the song. I actually am quite new to The Vamps and I am still discovering their music and I still don't actually know who they actually are! I don't normally listen to this type of music but it is so catch and fun that I couldn't help loving. If you have any other songs by The Vamps that you think I should listen to, comment them down below and I will check them out!



 






Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Easy lunch idea-avacado and tuna toast

Today for lunch I had a little more time to spend. Whenever I have time for a meal I always try to make it healthy and delicious. Sadly today there wasn't much in the fridge so I whipped up this open toasted sandwich ( I have no idea what this is called?). You can tell I was really scrounging around since one piece of bread is multigrain and one is white. They  were the last pieces of bread left in the pantry. 

I placed two pieces of bread in a sandwich maker and on top of that I slice up some avocado, mushrooms and used some leftover lemon pepper tuna. For the mushrooms I'm not comfortable eating raw mushrooms so I boiled them in some water for one minute just so they were cooked. On top of everything I placed some nice cheese. I leave it in the toasted sandwich maker for 5 minutes just so the bread gets nice and crisper and the cheese is melting. 


And voila! This is such an easy healthy lunch and I just love to make this when I have an empty fridge because it only requires a few ingredients but it is so yummy! You can totally customise what you put on top of your toast. In the past I have used leftover chicken, cucumber, fresh tomatoes, and capsicum and it always tastes good. 



Comment below what you like to make for lunch and if you decide to try this please comment below with a picture. I would love to see different takes on this!

Friday, July 25, 2014

DIY lyric art- Don't you worry child

Got lots of love from my last DIY lyric art so decided to do another one. This is the chorus from Don't you worry child by Sweedish house mafia. This song isn't typically my kind of song but I remember listening to it a couple of times and just falling in love with the lyrics. I really live the lyrics because I am one of those people that just worry themselves to death. I am always so anxious and when I was little I used to have serious panic attacks but luckily I outgrew them as I got older.

Personally these lyrics are a little reminder that there is a bigger picture that sometimes we can't see. It helps me to stop worrying and just live out my life without fear. I hope you any this artwork because I worked really hard on it.

Comment below any other lyric art you would like me to do next.


Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Easy and Quick Gingerbread Men

In the middle of winter there is nothing better than a good gingerbread cookie. Now I am really picky about my gingerbread cookies. They have to be soft and warming but still gingery and sweet. I know that the 'American' gingerbread men recipe contains molasses but molasses are a rare and hated thing in my house. I think it's a New Zealand thing? I know most of my friends have no clue what they are. Anyway when I first began to make gingerbread recipes I bought a jar of molasses and I tried a couple of 'American' recipes that called for 1/2 cup of molasses and for someone who doesn't like the taste of molasses they all turned out horribly. Even my brother who will eat anything didn't eat them. I think it's because here in New Zealand we don't have the taste for traditional gingerbread. Instead I found this perfect recipe from Zoella last Christmas and since then I have made these cookies 4 times. These gingerbread men are so delicious. The molasses flavour is hidden underneath the ginger and cinnamon but still provides a warm spice. This recipe is really different because it is made on the stove but it works and makes cleanup much easier as everything is in one pot!
As I said this recipe is from Zoella but I've altered it a little bit. I found that this recipe makes about 50 small gingerbread men. it definitely makes heaps so if you want less you can halve recipe. These are so yummy You should definitely try these. If you do comment below and tell me what you think!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of golden syrup (I prefer to use honey)
1 tablespoon of molasses
1 tablespoon of water
1 teaspoon of cinnamon 
1 heaped teaspoon of ginger
100g of butter
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 3/4 cups of flour

Mix everything except baking soda and flour in a bowl.


and melt it over a low heat.
When everything is melted add the baking soda and stir quickly. It should change into a golden colour. Once everything is combined take it off the heat. 



Slowly add the flour until it makes a dough and roll it out. Take a cookie cutter and make some cookies!



Place them into an oven for 8 minutes. Check them constantly because they burn easily. If you want the soft and chewy bake them for 6 minutes.

And Voila! 



For the icing I used one cup of icing sugar, one teaspoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoon on milk. I prefer a lemon icing because the sourness goes perfectly with the warm ginger spice.

I love the way they turned out. I think they are super cute and fun for a lazy winter day!