Home Away From Home

During my career as a flight attendant, I have found that many people are amused and fascinated by the idea of a job that takes you away from your safe haven, and be on the road more than half of the month.

I appreciate peace and quiet -- as I'm more of a homebody now -- over the years I have established a 'ritual' that makes for a more cozy (or at least as cozy as it can be) atmosphere when in a hotel.

All in all, I do enjoy the 'change of scenery' aspect of my job, and since I am a creature of habit, though the room or the city maybe different, I have created the following trend for myself to make these stays a bit more comfortable.



My many bath salts I have collected...




Traveling candles always makes for a better smelling room...



My own mini pillow...



Occasionally when I am lazy and tired, I get room service.
I'm a BLT connoisseur.

Sweetest Dreams

When I close my eyes
When my spirit runs free
When I soar up high
When I rose no boundaries
This is where I
Learn to breathe with you
In my dreams
My sweetest dreams
In my dreams
My sweetest dreams

Those sweet dreams
A place
Where you are free

In my dreams
My sweetest dreams
We are, forever and ever
I had the sweetest dreams

When I close my eyes
Feel the magic fill me
Feel it deep inside
Rushing through my body
This is where I
Learn to breathe again
You're all alone
You're all alone

In my dreams
My sweetest dreams
In my dreams
My sweetest dreams

In my dreams
My sweetest dreams

In my dreams
My sweetest dreams
We are
Forever and ever

(Lyrics by Corderoy)

Link to the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDB5XYLcAnE



Occasionally when I am going through some less than stellar phase in life, I lean heavily on music to get me through the day.

I came across this song and while listening to it I couldn't imagine anything else but a peaceful night sky and light at the end of the tunnel.





(Speaking of sleep, I will do a post regarding layover hotels and how I try to make these 'home away from home' more cozy.)

Giveawayscout.com

I just wanted to give my readers a heads up for a cool site!

It's called GiveawayScout.com -- and it's basically a search engine for blog giveaways :)
Bloggers are doing giveaways all the time and sometimes you will miss out if you're not following them or simply if you don't know about it.
This may be your answer.

I am thinking about doing a giveaway once I hit 85 followers -- so it's nice to be included in the website.

Check them out!!

Fall Haul #2

In the past week, I have added just a few more pieces to my fall wardrobe...



Madden Girl
Karlla Zebra Platform Ruffle Pump

I was so excited to get this pump -- it is amazing with a simple outfit like skinny jeans and a slouchy tee, and totally dresses up a sleek black dress/skirt.
(I also bought it in a satin finish black as well.)



NARS
Chelsea Girls

PERFECT nude lip color and texture!
I am not a fan of lipstick but sometimes my beloved gloss just doesn't have enough pigmentation.



NARS
Triple X

I wear this over the above lip color for a shiny finish that's not overly done.



Boyfriend sweater
I got this exact one in black -- you would think it's easy to find a perfectly slouched plain black sweater cardigan. I looked everywhere last season, and they all had some kind of embellishment, or had wool in the material (I'm not a fan).
This was exactly what I wanted, and I am looking forward to wearing it with everything.

NARS

With its sleek black design and eye brow lifting names (i.e. Orgasm, Deep Throat) genius and multi-talented Francois Nars' work has always captured my attention.

There are few items from his ever famous line that is beyond popular, it has become a legend in its own rights.

I own a few items myself, and am always amazed at the vibrant color and the pigmentation that transfers onto the eyes, lips, cheeks, etc.

Their new eye shadow color, Daphne, was so extremely colorful, as an avid fan of color purple, I couldn't resist adding it to my collection!




NARS Daphne
(image by Cosmetic Candy)

Once I finish my fall shopping, I will do another haul post!

I've been there

So many times in my career I've wanted to do what Steven Slater did.
So. Many. Times.

When I was harassed for not bringing the meals out fast enough.
When I had my foot rolled over by an over sized bag for the fifth time that morning.
When I was dog tired from many hours of being on my feet and the person couldn't be bothered to answer me by looking at me because his laptop/blackberry/whatever is more important.
When I was almost beaten up in the back of a 747 on our way to Tokyo by a drunken passenger.
When I was called bi*ch to my face.
When I was harassed for 12 hours from Tokyo back to Chicago because I informed someone about a safety regulation during boarding and they took it VERY personally.
When I had to arrest someone.
When I had to arrest someone again.

I've been there.
I certainly have.

So, here's to Steven and his future, whatever that may be...
Bravo Steven, the problem was brewing underneath, and you actually had the guts to take it to the next level.
Good luck, and as you can see from the support you have gotten, many of us agree with you.

I love my job, but I'm not a doormat.

That is all.

New York, New York

I am not a city girl, as I grew up in a peaceful suburb of Chicago and lived in Los Angeles, where the whole county is basically a gigantic suburb.

During the time I lived in downtown Chicago, I was always intimidated by the crowded streets and the close quarters people lived in, and parking was practically a life or death situation. I learned to parallel park out of survival mode and found out you need a whole different level of driving skills just to get from point A to point B. It was serious stuff.

Naturally, my interest for a city like New York, is minimal.


Yesterday, though, I had a wonderful (personal) visit to that very city.
For a very good reason, I would travel to a city I'm not a big fan of.



In the cab (NOTE: I am in my uniform, I don't wear pins like that on my shirt when in street clothes)

Yes the cab ride was scary and the streets were way too busy for my liking, but it really is true who you are with makes up for whatever that is lacking in any other department.



508
(pic courtesy of nycgo.com)

We had a nice dinner at a cute bistro on Greenwich Street (508) and enjoyed a bottle of wine in the hotel room til the wee hours.


Almost empty bottle of red wine

Fall haul

As the end of any season approaches, I always do a few hauls to 'liven up' my closet, makeup bags, what have you.





Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow in "Mystic Smokys"





Dior Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm

Christian Dior is my favorite brand when it comes to high end ANYTHING.
I have few of their purses, and my occasional splurge is their fashion jewelry, especially bracelets.
The one (and only) pair of their beautiful heel that I own is really a breathtaking piece of art -- no wonder it costs an arm and a leg!

The makeup collection is also a bit pricey compared to some other brand, but it is obviously more affordable than their $700 pair of shoes, so once in a while I treat myself to their pieces.

This balm is soft, moisturizing, and neutral and the best part is that the product adjusts to your own pigmentation so it is always flattering.
The eye shadows are highly pigmented but yet not chalky at all.


Both are worth every penny.






Skin 79 BB cream
Super Beblesh Balm Triple Function

My new go-to 'foundation' is this pretty pink bottle.

BB Cream is very familiar name in the Asian community as it is produced mainly in Korea, and it is abbreviation for 'blemish balm.'
This particular one comes out almost three shades lighter than my skin color, but it blends in after a few minutes, and makes my face look FLAWLESS.
Even as the temperature cools, I will need to have some kind of protection from the sun, and this cream has SPF 25, and fights against wrinkle and has oil control.
It is not exactly a foundation, yet it has medium coverage, so it works well for that purpose.




Madden Girl Kallista Bootie in Tan

I love the peep toe bootie look.
This one has a slight platform (3/4 inch) and a not-so-sky-high heel (4 inches) and the color is JUST right.
It will go with almost anything in my closet, so versatile.



Express moto jeans
I have wanted a moto style jeans for a while and this week, with Express' 25% off jeans sale, I finally nabbed one.



Bebe handbag
I am really feeling the feminine lace and frills this fall and this bag is perfect in size and design.



F21 dress

Again, loving the lace details, and the color of this dress! It falls somewhere between tan and blush, is going to be a perfect compliment to black boyfriend jackets and tights.

What are you looking for for the fall season?

Jump rope

Since my Pilates trainer Alison is on vacation this month, I decided to get back to my routine of jump roping few times a week for my workout.

The positive influence of simple act of jumping rope is amazing to say the least.

Ladies, it's even proven to work well against cellulite, and it works your abs EVERY time you jump, not to mention weight loss from the cardio.

However, it is much more strenuous work then it appears, and my only warning would be for you to not over do it.

I have always been a pretty good jump roper, and I am now doing 250jumps x 6 sets every other day.
I alternate legs and speed, skip, go backward, anything and everything will do -- it will work different muscles, and will not go to waste.

The best part about the workout is that it can be done in such a short time, maybe 20 minutes tops, and can be done right on the back porch.

I do recommend that you jump on something 'soft' like a wooden porch, instead of concrete or a sidewalk as it can be hard on your knees.

Who is the fairest of them all?

In all my years of flying (13+) I have yet to find an airport that I think has more scenic set up then SFO -- a.k.a. San Francisco International.






The runways are directly on the ocean, and the surrounding area is just gorgeous, making the sunny, cool days in SFO (which is most of the year, FYI) a treat.




Aircraft landing on said runway

Sure the surrounding area isn't the most commercialized, and there aren't too many coffee houses or boutiques in the walking distance, but sometimes, the visual beauty just makes up for it all.