Guest Post: Jen of JennifHsieh

Hi! My name is Jen and you can normally find me on JennifHsieh, writing about absolute nonsense, what I wore that day, and what I ate that day. Oh, and I like to travel. While Bivi is on holiday, I'm jumping in and sharing some of my top travel destinations with you guys over the last few years (and a few tips and recommendations here and there). I can never seem to stay put in the craziness of New York City and, either for work or pleasure, I take every chance I get to hop in a car or board a plane and see somewhere new.

Iceland (Blog Post Here)

One of my most recent trips brought me to the enchanting land of Iceland. The entire country was breathtaking from start to finish but in the end it was all about the waterfalls. There was absolutely no shortage of them. My absolute favorite one of them all was Goðafoss waterfall, pictured above. Despite the decent number of tourists, the water was loud enough to drown them all out and create a peaceful, serene environment....most ideal for pondering life's greatest questions.

Check out more of my Icelandic adventures here.

Istanbul, Turkey (Blog Post Here)

While Jeremy taught abroad for a year, I was able to make the trek to meet him in Istanbul and also check out the city of Malatya, his home for those ten months. I was blown away by the architectural wonders of the city and it was definitely a change of pace adjusting for the more conservative dress code. You can take a look at the rest of our Istanbul adventures here as well.

Moab, Utah (Blog Post Here)

I haven't spent a lot of time out on the west coast except for exceptions here and there and flashbacks moments from my childhood. Luckily for me, I was sent to the Sundance Film Festival in Utah for work and I was able to make the trek out west again. While most of the trip was spent in Park City, we ended up stranded for an extra two days due to the raging snow storm back in New York City; so, we decided to make the best of it and road tripped down to Moab. There was something incredibly unbelievable about driving through those giant mountains and unreal rock formations.

Montreal, Canada (Blog Post Here)

One of my favorite road trips was one that I took with Jeremy up to Montreal. It's such an beautiful place to spend a couple of days and it's definitely one of the most livable cities I've ever visited. The best part of Montreal was how bike-friendly it was. One afternoon we ended up biking all along one of the many rivers toward the Parc René-Lévesque, a quaint little sculpture park at the end of the path. Definitely making another trip back up there soon.

Seattle (Blog Post Here) 

The Pacific Northwest keeps stealing my heart over and over and over again. About two years ago, Jeremy and I spent the winter holiday visiting Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. All of them pretty much won a permanent place in my heart but nothing beats Seattle. From the incredible seafood (my belly was full of shrimp cocktail) to the quiet coffee shop mornings, I could absolutely see myself settling down here and embracing the rainy days. See more of our Seattle adventures here. 

What are some of the favorite places you've been?

Check out Jen's blog to read more about her adventures and everyday life!

Guest Post: Milka Amelia of Charming Berryz

Hello everybody, I’m Milka Amelia from Charming Berryz. I’m so grateful that my friend, Kak Bivi allowed me to be her guest on her blog hihihi :3

Well, I actually don’t know much about guest posting and this my first time as a guest blogger but I’m so excited :3

Okay, back to the main topic, I did a photo shoot last week with my brother. I was really in a hurry because he has to go somewhere pffft -_- After lunch in Kota Lama at Tekodeko Koffiehuis, we went to a random street, the quiet one and there’s no traffic. I’m so sorry for the background of my photos, because the background doesn’t suit my outfit. I really don’t have time to find a good spot.

I love sweet and feminine style as usual, I wore pretty simple outfit, a cream lace cardigan from my friend’s online shop, a patterned navy dress from Authentic American Heritage, my DIY Little Roses Bracelet, mini Furla bag that I bought at Taman Anggrek Mall, White Platform from aglaehouse and, for the last touch, I added thin white belt.

Ah, I almost forget, happy fasting to my Muslim brothers and sisters, I hope this Ramadhan will bring blessing and joy for you. I’m not fasting because I’m a Christian, but I salute my Muslim friends who can fast for a whole month, because, for me, I can’t stand one hour without drinking X’D

Hmm..what should I write here... I have no idea what to write here, so I think this is the end, thanks for reading my post, I’m so happy if you like to visit my blog too. Once again, thank you to Kak Bivi for this opportunity hehehe :3

3 Things: You've Learnt From Being a Mother

Welcome back, dear readers, to this blog's newest feature: 3 things! If you're new to the blog, 3 things is a monthly feature, where I ask a group of people from different professions (and interests) the three things involving their area of expertise. The idea is to connect more well-known people with their fans or public and get to know them a little better. Because, we all know how renowned people can seem quite out of reach at times. But, hopefully, by reading this feature, you will learn that they're actually human beings just like us, with comfortable habits and obstacles in their lives and we might actually get inspired by their answers. Thought I'd do a mother-themed month in May since International Mother's Day is this month, so let's see what these mothers have to say on this subject:

ANSWERS

Bianca Jagoe of biancajagoe.com
facebook || twitter || instagram || tumblr || pinterest

DO WHATEVER MAKES NOW BETTER. When my son was a newborn, times felt so impossibly tough and I didn't know how my little family were going to survive. My sister in law said those words to me - "Do whatever makes now better" - and they really stuck with me. I guess it was because I carried a lot of 'mom-guilt' - I wanted everything to be perfect and I felt inadequate because things weren't perfect. Letting go of guilt and just making choices that made 'now better' made life so much easier.

BE MINDFUL AND PRESENT. I have always had issues with anxiety and worrying too much about the future and the past, but I feel like my son is constantly teaching me how to enjoy day to day life more. He and I take a lot of walks together and I am always interested to see what things catch his eye. I love noticing the little things he observes and the ways that he is experiencing and getting to know the world around him - it is really uplifting and it helps me to connect with him and feel more present. This would have to be one of my favourite things about being a mom.

DOCUMENT. All of those cliches about time and children are ridiculously true. I look at my son and I say "You were just born!". I like to write down lists of things he's been doing, words he's picked up, foods and toys he's obsessed with, things he's been doing that make me laugh. Just noticing these things isn't enough because I'll forget them with the passing of time - I have to write them down.I think taking the time to document things makes time slow down a little bit, makes me pay more attention and I get to reflect upon his development (and my own as a mom).

Savannah Wallace of Maiedae

instagram || pinterest || youtube || Disney baby

1. I have to remind myself, just has Soren is learning to speak, play and grow...I'm learning how to be a mommy. Allowing myself to learn and grow and be okay with that is GOOD and purposeful. I will accept that I am a great mom and I will accept each day as an opportunity to grow within this new role. Of all the roles I've been honored to take on in life, being a wife and a mom have truly been the very best.
2. I've never been more tired or happy in my entire life. I really need to get into tea or something with caffeine to get a little pep in my step! Or maybe I could just work on eating healthier and exercising?! ;)
3. Treat yo'self days, girl nights, date nights, alone time nights are essential!! DO make them a priority! 

Melissa Baswell Williams of Bubby and Bean
facebook || twitter || instagram || pinterest 

• I am a very different kind of parent than I thought I'd be. For me, this was the biggest lesson. If you are pregnant (or in the adoption process) for the first time, you probably have a pretty clear idea in your head about how you are going to parent. I did anyway. And guess what? I ended up doing things a lot differently once I was actually experiencing motherhood. For the most part, I've done everything at least somewhat differently than I'd anticipated. Many things I've done completely differently. I could ramble on forever about the specifics with this. From how I would react to her right after birth to how I'd handle sleeping to when I'd stop breastfeeding, I've done almost nothing the way I pictured. So I'll just leave it at that.
• It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about my (or anyone else's) parenting. I'm not going to sugarcoat here. Parents judge one another, and parenting topics can be very polarizing. I mean, you can probably just look at your Facebook feed for a couple of minutes and there will be some sort of parenting debate. Guess what?There isn't one right way. Period. There is only what works best for each child, each parent, and each family. And if someone is doing their best to be a genuinely good parent and someone else chastises their methods because they're different, that's really too bad - because if we all encouraged one another, regardless of parenting techniques, parenting would likely be collectively easier for everybody.
• It's not as hard as I thought it would be. I think I really built it up in my head that raising a baby would be almost impossibly difficult for me, so ultimately, it just feels much easier in comparison. First of all, I got pregnant later in life, and I spent my twenties and much of my thirties focusing on my career, traveling, and only worrying about myself. I had a long time to convince myself that my freedom would be all but destroyed upon becoming a mother. It turns out that, for the most part, it's actually (usually) easier than it is hard. Once I got used to the lack of sleep (and truly, I have just gotten used to it, because it's still there 13 months later), the rest has sort of fallen into place.

So what have you learnt from being a mother, if you are one? And have you appreciated your mother enough?

#KITTENHOODSTYLE

Hi, everyone! Today my outfit post is located elsewhere as I style Daria's #kittenhoodstyle challenge this month over on her blog. Daria is going away to Japan at the moment - so jealous! - so she's asked me to fill in for her - thanks again, Daria! We teamed up to bring a look that rings true to both of us. Come check out my guest post (and the rest of her blog) and say hi!

3 Things: That Makes for a Great Outfit Post

Welcome back, dear readers, to this blog's newest feature: 3 things! If you're new to the blog, 3 things is a monthly feature, where I ask a group of people from different professions the three things involving their area of expertise. The idea is to connect more well-known people with their fans or public and get to know them a little better. Because, we all know how renowned people can seem quite out of reach at times. But, hopefully, by reading this feature, you will learn that they're actually human beings just like us, with comfortable habits and obstacles in their lives and we might actually get inspired by their answers. This month, we are going to hear the answers from some of my favourite fashion/personal style bloggers regarding this topic:

ANSWERS

Annika Victoria of The Pineneedle Collective
facebook || instagram || twitter || tumblr || youtube
1. A cute, colourful wall as a backdrop - or, any backdrop which matches the colour palette in the outfit. I need to use this tip more myself, but it can be quite difficult to achieve this when you take your own photos with a tripod and remote - sometimes you just want to find the backdrop that is the most convenient, rather than the most pretty! Shelovesdresses and Mermaidens have perfected this particular technique, I recommend having a look at their outfit posts!
2. This is more something that should be AVOIDED for a good outfit post: an overload of the same pose from the same angle! If you like a whole lot of shots of yourself taken from the same angle, where you're pulling basically the same pose in each, CHOOSE JUST ONE. I know it's hard because maybe you look great in all of them - but please try to just use one (or two, if you really must)! Variety is the spice of life.
3. I love outfit posts that weave a story between the photos (just like a sentence or two), where the words really serve to bring all the shots together, but enriches them at the same time. Buddle and Squeak does this really well, if you want to get an idea of what I mean!

Elizabeth Morrow of Delightfully Tacky 

facebook || instagram || twitter || pinterest || photography
1.) Great photos with creative posing, good natural lighting, and variety.  It's nice to actually see the outfit, and I like getting different angles and perspectives on the outfit- close ups, full body, etc.
2.) A unique, fun, creative outfit. 

3.) A cool location.  Sure you can take a good outfit shot against a white wall, but what takes outfit photos to the next level, for me, is if they're shot in a place that is also beautiful.  I like to match my outfits to the location, so more bohemian outfits are usually shot in the woods, and more vibrant ones are sometimes shot near graffiti walls, etc.

Daria Patrunjel of Kittenhood
facebook || instagram || twitter || tumblr || pinterest

1. Good photos. This doesn't mean that they have to be professional, but rather well lit and shot in a nice setting. I think they show off the clothes better (and more true to life) and they keep my attention for longer. 

2. Affordable fashion. If a blogger can rock affordable brands and second hand or vintage items, they have my attention. Expensive designer items - while definitely gorgeous - are out my price range, so I don't care much for how they can be paired with even more expensive items.

3. Detailed but not overwhelming. When you take outfit pictures, it can be hard to make the final selection. Since so many pictures turned out nice, why not post them all? The truth is, too many pictures of the same outfit can be overwhelming. I think about 5-6 of them will do the trick, including close-ups of the accessories and different angles of the look.

So what makes a good outfit post for you? I'd love to know!

Guest Post: Daria of Kittenhood

Hi everyone, I'm Daria from Kittenhood, and I'm happy to be helping Bivi with a guest post today. My blog covers fashion, DIY, and cats, in no particular order. Today's post is a little remix of one of my favorite dresses ever. I bought this H&M dress for my sister’s wedding in 2011, and have worn it so many times since! It’s a great dress for a festive occasion - the lightweight fabric makes you feel like you’re walking on air, the asymmetrical strap is flattering, and the color goes with everything. And while I’ve worn it as is a couple of times, I’ve mostly layered it. It looks so good layered! Here are some of the ways I styled it:

One spring, I wore it with a skull t-shirt on top (which is really old and from the kids’ section), hot pink tights, peep toe heels and my yellow trench coat. Pictured to the right is the wedding outfit, complete with navy kitten heels and a matching brooch. I like keeping it simple.

For fall, the dress looks great with a wool sweater on top! Any color tights will go, but I chose purple, and went with all brown accessories otherwise. For even colder days, I’ve layered it with both a shirt and a belted sweater, matching tights and a pair of ankle boots. Good enough for snow!

Thanks for reading!
Daria

Guest Post: Vina of Verwirrend aber gut

Hi! My name is Vina. I am an Architecture student who lives in Berlin. I blog at Verwirrend aber gut which is a blog about my interests (Travel, Artwork, fashion, life). Vielen lieben Dank an Bivi to let me blog here !

Since I have a lot of interests, I'm gonna pick one theme that I currently like, which is fashion. I actually don't know much about fashion but many of my friends said that I have my own style, which involves vintage. 

shirt from Weekdays

shirt, pants and shoes from Humana

dress from Pasar Senen

Lucky for me, I live in one of the best cities in the world, filled with so many retail stores from famous brands to secondhand stores. So finding a vintage stuff is such an easy job.

But you have to be very patient to find the good stuff in such stores. Because finding a diamond in a pile of junk can be really hard.

I’d give you some tips:

1. Choose what you want to buy ( clothes, dress, etc )!
2. Keep your eyes peeled!
3. Start searching from the bottom to top or left to right!

I somehow feel comfortable wearing secondhand stuff. Some people find it creepy or disgusting. But the truth is, it really isn’t that bad. You can buy several items for cheap prices and find some unusual clothes or items.

blazer from Humana

jacket from Humana

I’m used to thrifting since junior high school back in Jakarta, Indonesia.  The first time I went to a secondhand market in Pasar Senen, I couldn’t find anything that fit me. Either it was too small or too big.  I think that's the only problem you can get from this activity.

If you ever go to Berlin, and want to experience the joy of thrifting, you can try one of these places:

1. GARAGE, this place has many choices of clothing. You can buy clothes per weight (1 kg = 20 Euro)
2. HUMANA, if you want to do charity while shopping.  
3. MADE IN BERLIN, for those who want to spend a good quality secondhand stuff from famous brands.

jacket from Humana

Dr. Martens shoes from Weekdays

jacket from Humana

I think that is all for now.

I hope you enjoy reading my post and have a good new year!
-Divina

Guest Post: Sophie of Cellar of Dreams

Hello!

I'm very excited that Bivi asked me to be one of her guest bloggers! My name is Sophie and I run Cellar of Dreams, which is a blog about fashion and sewing. Fashion has always been important to me, even if I haven't always been particularly fashionable (I had a camouflage pants phase). I never really know how to describe my style; I like mixing vintage and modern but I also wear a lot of outfits that fit neither of these categories. I love dresses and knee socks and anything striped, but I'm very open to different styles and pieces.

Today I thought I would share a simple holiday outfit.

I always associate red velvet with the holidays, even if this isn't a very Christmas-themed outfit. I don’t own much velvet although my uncle gave me loads of velvet fabric to work with. I'm always jealous of all of the festive velvet holiday dresses that they make for little girls and I’m tempted to try to replicate them. This is a very uneven looking dress was my first attempt at sewing clothing and I am glad to say I have gotten a little bit better since then. For one thing I now have a sewing machine and I don't painstakingly hand sew each stitch. I can only wear this dress with sweaters over it because the back - and really just the top in general - is pretty messy looking. I think the dress looks okay with the sweater cover-up as long you don't look at the back of the skirt where an unsightly seam lays. Sewing clothing has become something that I greatly enjoy. Often it’s frustrating and tedious but there’s nothing quite like receiving a compliment on an article of clothing and getting to tell that person that you made it yourself. Plus you never run into anyone wearing the same thing as you.

I’ve been trying to get into the Christmas mood with my wardrobe but I don’t own a lot of holiday-themed clothing. I try to limit that kind of stuff in my wardrobe since I like to be able to work my clothing into every season. If I’m ever shopping for a holiday outfit I like to buy red dresses or velvet tops so that I don’t have a lot of clothing that can only be worn during one month of the year. I don’t even own any Christmas sweaters, although my mother has quite a few to spare so I can always raid her closet if I have a desperate need to wear one.

Colorado usually gets a lot of snow by now but it's only snowed maybe two times. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a very not white Christmas. It’s pretty but I’ll take good driving conditions over a winter wonderland any day.

Outfit Details: 

Sweater - Forever 21 

Socks - ebay 

Dress - handmade 

Shoes – Ollio

Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope everyone’s holidays are well!

Sophie

Guest Post: Stevia of The Sweetest Escape

Bali, Jan 2014

Hello! My name is Stevia and I usually blog at The Sweetest Escape . Bivi was kind enough to let me blog here so thanks Bivi! It's the holiday season and I'm sure you all have plans to escape somewhere fun. Here are a few tips from my own experience to have a memorable trip. In this post I'm not going to lecture you about the importance of bringing a copy of your travel documents or to always, always stash extra cash, it's more like mantras to keep in mind when you're traveling.

En route to Switzerland, May 2014

Say Yes

I have a habit of avoiding new things but it's a holiday and you're in this new adventure so just be adventureous. I'm not saying "say yes to jump off a cliff to a rocky sea" when you can't swim, but just say yes to things like trying out sketchy local food or take the longer route to your destination.

Cinque Terre, May 2014

Spend The Money

Let's face it, when you're traveling, you have to spend money. My dad always says, if you want to have fun on your vacation, just spend the money. You can get more money after you finish your holiday, but you will regret not getting into a museum because you think the entrance fee is outrageous. Go order that in-flight meal, pay the extra money for the front seat in a theatre, get that chef's special menu that you always want to try... Just make sure you don't spend ALL your money!

Jerusalem, Sept 2014

Get Enough Rest

I know it's difficult to do especially when you're traveling with a tour but I really don't suggest to stay awake all night doing a heart to heart talk with your friend/sister. Lack of sleep always makes me lightheaded and cranky. Plus, it makes you prone to sickness.

Borobudur, July 2013

Stay Positive

Traveling with my mom is difficult because she's a worrier and she vents it out on me, the only one who has to listen. (She's always tired no matter how many sleep she gets or how much she eats. She has no interest in walking around taking in the beauty. The only thing that will make her happy is a mall or a gift shop.). And then there's my sister who always stays positive and cheerful no matter how tired or how busy she is. So, of course, my sister is a much better travel companion. So keep in mind when you're exhausted but you still want to check out that sunset that requires 300 stairs down to the beach, just stay positive and focus on the gorgeous sunset you're going to see

Melbourne, Jan 2013

Just Enjoy It – whatever “it” is

On my last trip to Israel, I traveled with my aunt. She's a very bubbly person, very chatty, and funny. She has this great mantra that she keeps telling everyone on the tour to “just enjoy it”. You have to live in the moment, that moment where you get your lunch at 3 PM (while breakfast was 7AM) because your bus tour gets lost? Just enjoy it. Who knows when will be the next time you get to eat Morrocan food at 3PM in the middle of the dessert with your big family? Or when you have to climb a mountain in the middle of the night with a pitch black night and the camel smells so bad you want to throw up? Just enjoy it. And I have that mantra imprinted in my head that when I was climbing Mount Sinai, I was able to enjoy the beautiful sky with the scattered stars like sand and the chilling air that bites my nose. Lord knows, I will NOT be on that moment again. Perhaps never...but never say never right?

Japan, May 2013

I do hope in this holiday season you enjoy your vacation and keep these five tips in your mind.

Happy Holiday!
Stevia