We've moved!!!

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Hi guys!

Long time to write!  I've taken another unexpected hiatus because I've had something very exciting planned - I've moved online homes!  This has been a long time coming - I've felt for a couple years now that the blog was heading in a new direction and it sorely needed a facelift.  I tried to facilitate a move a few years ago but just didn't have all the tools and resources to do it properly...but now I do and it has happened!

I'm at a very different place in my life now compared to when I started this blog all the way back in 2007, and my new blog will reflect that.  Thank you SO much to all of you who've read me, be it just one article or every single once since Day One.  You mean the world to me and I hope you'll continue to read me at my new location.

The content will be largely the same - I'll be talking about everything that makes me happy and/or tickles my fancy, such as food, culture, travel, beauty, etc.  Please join me there!

Thank you for six years of support - here's to a wonderful new beginning!

Love,
Me
XOXOXO

Sweetheartisms & Sh*t I Say to My Boyfriend

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After many raised eyebrows, it's occurred to me that Sweetheart and I apparently have a very quotable relationship.  These are the kinds of sweet nothings we say to each other:

Sweetheartisms
-Is that Orgasm all over your face or are you just happy to see me?

The Best Push Presents

This can be mine if I don't mind having, as Borat would say, wizard's sleeve lady parts.

A while ago, I received this photo from Sweetheart when he was at the Toronto Auto Show, followed by a text saying it’ll be mine once I bear his 7th child. Setting aside the fact that I am not a sow (and therefore refuse to produce that many offspring) –

The Ex Files

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Four years.  It’s been just over four years since my first love totally turned my life upside down, and I’ve never had any closure.  But I guess it doesn’t matter anymore. 
I was recently lurking on Facebook when a mutual friend who never pops up on my feed made an appearance and mentioned him in a post.  I hadn’t been on his profile in over two years and, curious, I clicked on his name to have a look.  I feel…really complicated, and I just want to get this down in writing.

A little background info:

30DC30: What I Learned This Month

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Today's the last day of my 30 Day Challenge - YAAAY!!!  I did it!

Thank you so, so much for being with me through it, whether you read just one post or every single entry for all 30 days - thank you!!! :D

Okay, today's entry is about what I learned this month.  What I learned this month is that

30DC29: My Favourite Plant

I briefly contemplated putting something deliciously edible here, like potatoes or cherries, or something that's multipurpose (and can make me pretty!), like aloe vera.  But, alas, I'm just a simple girl.  I love flowers.

I've received roses, tulips, tiger lilies, gerbera daisies, etc. and I love them ALL.  I'm really disappointed that somewhere down the line, the whole thing of giving flowers has been ruined.  I think there are two reasons for this:

30DC28: Outfit of the Day

Guys, this didn't turn out so well.  I don't think I could be a fashion blogger because, besides the energy and creativity it takes to put together cute outfits, no one I know has the photography chops to help me with this!  You see, I made the grave mistake of getting Sweetheart to take a picture of me.  I told him I was doing a blog post on my outfit and of course, this is what he captured:

Making everything about my butt is his superpower.

 So I closed the bathroom door, turned around, and this is what happened:

I wasn't even looking at the camera and you can't even see what I'm wearing inside!  So I opened up my jacket a little and this was the best shot of the day:

Of course, I probably shouldn't have done this after trekking over an hour in the rain...and I probably should've put on some make up, gone to a nice outdoor place for some natural lighting (because Sweetheart likes to be shrouded in darkness at home >.<) and a more interesting background...

This first attempt wasn't great but perhaps I'll try again someday!  Because you couldn't see my dress, I took a picture of it in the washroom at work to show you guys (I know, I was one of those!):

Trench Coat: Zara Basic
Scarf: some pashmina-wannabe thing I bought on the streets of Barcelona
Dress: Style Moda Italiana (Superwoman bought this in some chichi select shop here in Toronto back in the 90s)
Cardigan (only visible in the last photo): Jacob (used to fit properly and now fits like a grandpa cardigan)
Tights: Steve Madden (from DSW New York)
Patent Cream Pumps: Nine West

30DC27: A Doodle

This is what I do - sort of. :P

As anyone who went to elementary school with me will attest,

30DC26: Something I Want

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In my very shallow way of looking at the world, of course I’m taking “Something I Want” to mean a material thing, as opposed to airy-fairy shit like enlightenment and children and world peace (which I actually do want, but we all know how likely that’ll happen in the foreseeable future).  Great – my ThingWhore Hat is firmly on.

Besides being a notorious and cultivated ThingWhore, I’m also a huge list & spreadsheet aficionada.  Put those together and what do you get? 

30DC25: Animal I Want As A Pet

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I, like most people on the internet, would like a Maru for a pet!!!  But since there's only one Maru in the world, I suppose I'll settle for any other cute, round breed of cat.  A Scottish fold like him or a tabby or maybe a Himalayan!

That's if I were being practical, of course.  If we can dip into the realm of fantasy, I'd like to have a

30DC24: Ways to Win My Heart

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I think these things are pretty universal:

20DC23: 10 Unexpected Traits

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1.) I used to love playing with “boys’ toys” – transformers, carpentry sets, cars, airplanes, monsters, everything.

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2.) I’m not afraid of bugs. Okay, I don’t like centipedes/millipedes and growing up in Canada, I’ve never had to

30DC22: 3 Things I'm Proud of

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Gosh, I guess I’m just supposed to brag about myself in this post, aren’t I? Here goes!

30DC21: What's In My Purse

My purse and its contents - the only thing not pictured is my phone (iPhone4), which I used to take this picture!

A gay man once proclaimed that I have "THE most boring purse, like, ever" after rifling through mine, and he proceeded to ask if I really were born female, because how could any woman leave the house so unprepared?!

"What if

30DC20: Something That Makes Me Happy

(If it weren’t already obvious enough) This blog is largely about all my favourite things – which is why it took some serious brain-wracking for me to come up with material for today’s topic, Something That Makes Me Happy, that I haven’t already talked about a bajillion times before.  But lo and behold, when I looked around my work desk for inspiration, I caught sight of something I’ve been obsessed with for about a year now that I (shockingly) haven’t shared with you yet on my blog -

30DC19: Someone Who Fascinates Me

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If you've been reading my blog for a while, you probably know that people generally fascinate me. (See here [explicit], here, and here.)

Today's subject is no stranger to my Twitter followers, because she's brought indelible joy to my life and I've talked about her a lot.  Looking back at my feed, I can't believe I first met her almost a year ago!  She made my week every single week for months, until she disappeared last fall...then suddenly, last month, she came back into my life and made my weeks complete again!

She, my friends, is OFace Overdoer:

30DC18: Something I Crave A Lot

Yeah, baby.

I love my sweets, but every so often, nothing can satisfy me better than a savoury, meaty, roast beef sandwich.  I'm not talking about the slimy, slippery, nitrate-saturated crap you buy at regular supermarkets, but slices of heaven that actually come out of an actual, filler-free, hunk-of-cow roast that was perfectly-seasoned and blasted in the oven. Yuuum!!!

I first experienced what I call "real roast beef slices"

30DC17: Something I Don't Leave Home Without

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This is one of my Holy Grails, not just because it's effective for what it's meant for, but also because it's got many uses!  I also love Blistex Medicated Lip Balm in Mint, which is less expensive than Lip Medex, but because I prefer this one just a little more, I've featured it in today's post.  I tend to use the pot at home and the stick on-the-go.

There's a bit of controversy surrounding medicated lip balms because they supposedly create a dependence in users.  I actually wouldn't be surprised - I start to hanker for this like crazy if I've forgotten mine at home - but seeing as how it doesn't actually have adverse health effects, I just keep using it.  That, and it feels too good on the lips!  Products that don't make my lips tingle just aren't as satisfying - I like feeling when my lip balm is there, you know?

Besides all that, my lips are extremely prone to dryness and cracking, particularly at the corners, so this product is indispensable to me and I can't leave home without it.  I reapply throughout the day as needed, after I eat, after I brush my teeth, after I shower, etc.  I go through quite a few of these in a year, so I always stock up when they're on sale.

So what are the uses besides moisturizing lips, you ask?  They are as follows:

30DC16: A Recipe

If you need a recipe for a simple, delicious, and adequately impressive dessert, I highly recommend this! I recently made it for breakfast – it was meant for dessert the night before, but we were too full and had to save this for the next day. Sweetheart was impressed, I was delighted, and it was all-around happiness! Best thing is that it takes only about 5 minutes, if that. Without further ado, here’s how you make my peach flambé:

30DC15: What's In My Makeup Bag

My face resides in these two bags

When it comes to makeup bags, I have two – one that I carry around with me wherever I go (below), and one for when I need to put on my whole face for a special occasion (above).

Contrary to popular belief, I’m a very light packer. In fact,

30DC14: My Most Recent Kiss

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It happened today. It’s the same one that takes place pretty much every weekend. Sweetheart and I are not big into PDA so we don’t put on a show for strangers, but we’re good at packing a lot of punch in a single kiss. In one brief moment, a lot of messages are exchanged by this simple gesture:

30DC13: Last Items I Purchased

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I’ve had a Chapters gift card sitting around in my room for about two years now, and I’ve either forgotten about it or had nothing to buy. Recently, I decided to treat myself and to take advantage of the bonus points they’ll give you when you purchase in the month of your birthday, so I bought the following things:

30DC12: Picture of Me 3 Years Ago

Here I am nearly 3 years ago, literally having a gay, old time during Madrid’s Pride parade – Orgullo 2010 – which is also where I met my sweet and brilliant friend, Mateo. It was muscles, boobs, and glitter everywhere! Somehow,

30DC11: Something I Ate Today

One of my favourite lunches when I'm at work!

From my beloved Chipotle Mexican Grill!  Barely a two minute walk away from my office, I need to exercise real strong will to not have it too often.  My favourite order is:

30DC10: Face of the Day

This is my first attempt at doing a Face of the Day blog post - just like a real beauty blogger! ^.^  It was fun to do but a lot of work for me at the same time, because I normally don't wear a full face of makeup.  I also didn't realize how much stuff I had on my face until I had to list it!  Either way, I hope you like it. :)

For a full list of products used and an open eye shot, click after the jump!

30DC9: My Handwriting

I promise I didn't filter this image, even though it looks totally Instagrammed!

I think my handwriting is “artistically messy” and kind of androgynous – it’s not obviously written by a man or a woman – and I like that. I’ve never been a loopy, circly, sub-hearts-for-dots kind of writer. As a kid I used to dislike my writing because I thought it looked harsh, but I’ve come to like it more and more, especially when a university classmate stood over my desk to watch me take notes once because he said my handwriting was “kinda beautiful.”

When I write, I always print because

30DC8: Places I've Lived

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Hong Kong – I was born and spent the first 8 months of my life here, where my family is from. Aptly described by Michael Kors as "Beverly Hills on steroids," Hong Kong is a vibrant and exciting place that requires a certain level of street-smartness to survive in.  In fact, months before I visited Hong Kong for the first (and so far, only) time when I was 10, my mom and aunts prepped me for weeks about how to navigate through dense crowds, how to find a seat on the subway, how not to mess my clothes up eating street food, etc.!  It's also where Cantonese is widely spoken - a dialect that is not pretty to listen to at all but is very close to my heart, because it's very colloquial and cheeky. :) Being from Hong Kong also creates a unique cultural identity in me, because my entire family (with the exception of my younger cousins) were born there when it was a British colony.  I've found that it's nearly impossible to describe to people who don't share a similar situation what it means to be bicultural - especially, I've personally found, if they're from Europe.  And for me, my situation is even more complicated because I grew up in Canada!  Which brings me to my next place...

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Toronto – I grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, which are safe and peaceful. I’m very proud of being from Toronto, and I self-identify first and foremost as a Canadian. In fact, I've been known to raise my hackles when people sh*t on Canadians. :P I’m now back living in my hometown after stints in the following places:

30DC7: Someone I'd Trade Places With

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Of course I’d want to trade places with someone who has a ton of money, a slammin’ body, and a superhot boyfriend/husband. I briefly contemplated Gisele Bundchen because I’d love to sample some Tom Brady, but I really don’t care for football – I watch soccer. So obviously, for me, I’d trade places with a soccer WAG. And, as I’ve established, I’d make an awesome one. The problem is which footie to pick.

The first names to come in mind were:

30DC6: 10 Likes & Dislikes

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My 10 likes and dislikes are as follows:

30DC5: Meaning Behind My Blog Name

How appropriate, because I often get asked about the origin of my blog name! “The Soap Heiress” comes from two things:

30DC4: Top 10 Celebrity Crushes

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If you're a girl or gay boy, please just skip ahead to the jump.  You're welcome.

If you're one of my 3 straight male readers, this post is worth your time to read because it shows you what (some) women like aesthetically, and also because it can clearly show you how women see men differently.  It's amazing to me how different our tastes are - what we find attractive and what straight guys think will attract us.  So consider this an informal lesson and consult your best girl buddy if you have any other questions.

Without further ado, here are my top 10 celebrity crushes:

30DC3: 5 Places I'd Like to Visit

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If you’ve looked around my blog at all – particular the tab at the top entitled “Travel Wishlist” – you’d know it’s terribly difficult for me to narrow it down to five. In fact, I distinctly remember that on my third date or so with Sweetheart, he asked me to pick the top three places I wanted to visit and I almost collapsed in a fit of the vapours. (“Three? Just three??? How am I supposed to choose just three?!”)

So for the purpose of making my life easier, I’m going to impose the rule that the five places I pick for this post have to be places I haven’t been before, because there are some places I want to revisit again and again. In no particular order, my five destinations are:

30DC2: My Signs

I know - I couldn't believe I could find such a perfect graphic, either!
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30 Day Challenge Day 2: Your zodiac sign and if it suits you

I am a

30DC1: A Baby Picture of Me

That face clearly says, "I'm so pissed off, Mommy!"

This is a photo of me in Superwoman’s* arms, right after an epic, hour-long, wailing hissy fit in the car that frayed my grandfather's nerves (and almost caused a car accident because he was driving). Said fit occurred because

30 Day Challenge!

Remember this challenge from last year? Well, I’ve decided to do it again, and I’ve decided to do it better. (That’s what she said! :P)

This time, I’ll be much more prepared and it will be much more fun, because I don’t have to pull something out of my butt to talk about every day, since there’ll be pre-decided topics. Those of you seasoned blog readers may recognize this challenge. The things I will be talking about this month, per the original rules, will be:

Target Canada Haul & First Impressions!

My first Target Canada Haul! :D

At laaaaaaaast!
My looove has come along...
My lonely days are overrr...
And life is liiike a sooong!!!

I am, of course, referring to Target’s arrival in Canada! This is proof-positive that every once in a while, the Retail Fairies answer our prayers*. Those of us who have Target on our US Must Go Lists have been hotly anticipating their debut here in the homeland ever since it was first announced.

On the day of their debut (Tuesday, March 19th),

Tasty Tuesday: Hide-Chan Ramen Food Porn

Pork buns

I've done a full review of Hide-Chan Ramen before, which can be found here.  On my recent trip to New York, I tried a few other things from their menu, so I thought I'd do a follow up post to tell you about them.

Pictured above are their pork buns - a slice of grilled pork belly with crisp, sliced lettuce and Japanese mayo sandwiched in cloud-fluffy white buns that reminded me of mantou.  These buns!  These buns were so soft, so light, and so fluffy.  The pork belly was torched to perfection.  The lettuce was very fresh and the mayo tied it all together beautifully.  These were so good we asked for another order right after the first was finished!

Chicken karaage

The chicken karaage was good but not amazing.  I've had better in Toronto - more about that later - but the dipping sauce was quite good.  The chicken was adequately crisp and juicy.

Gyoza

My little cousins were big fans of these gyoza but I thought they were just okay.  They were teeny-tiny though, so don't count on these being filling!

The Lowly Finance Marketer

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I’ve found that whenever I go on dates, inevitably at some point the fact that I almost went to law school will come up. It’s because living in France and Spain are some of the most interesting things about me, I think – and definitely two of the most exciting things ever to happen to me.

You see,

Shellac 2 Week Update

Bio Seaweed Gel Soak-Off Gel in Grapefruit, 2 weeks later

Hi guys!  Here I am for the last installment of my Shellac experience - here are parts one and two.

These photos were actually

Sometime During 25, I

A quarter of a century ago today!

Sometime during 25, I:

Shellac 1 Week Update!

Bio Seaweed Soak-Off Gel in Grapefruit - 1 week later

Hi guys!  As promised, here I am exactly a week later to give you an update on my "Shellac" manicure - to see my intro post about the product and my experience, click here.

I have to say,

What I'd Tell My Younger Self

Me at 19!

Don’t go for the most glamourous jobs – go with what you do best. This will save you lots of time, money, and heartache.

Don’t go for the guys who are ideal on paper – that doesn’t necessarily translate to a good partnership & relationship in real life.

You’re so creative; put it to good use and don’t be afraid to reach out!

Switch after first year if you don’t like your major – “give it another year” is shit advice that you should not listen to.

Sororities and Greek life are not all they’re cracked up to be – don’t join one!!! Life is much better as a GDI. ;)

Mom’s right; school comes first.

Mom’s right again; don’t dye your virgin hair because it’ll irrevocably damage and dry it out, and it’ll never be as soft as it naturally was to begin with. You’ll go grey and need to dye it regularly soon enough.

Never let anyone – family or otherwise – bully you into doing anything you don’t want because you’re the one who has to live your life.

He’s not worth it.

Neither is he.

Or that guy, either, but he won’t be a complete waste of time because at least you’ll learn something about yourself.

You are capable. 

You can and will save yourself – don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Exercise regularly, floss diligently, and wear sunscreen daily.

Binge-eating doesn’t actually make you feel better – at least not after you’ve swallowed and the food is no longer in your mouth.

Do your own makeup for prom – it’s so not worth what they charge at those bridal salons and you will hate your pictures forever! But it’s okay to pay to get your hair done because you’ll never learn how to make it look nice.

Don’t wear your heart on your sleeve for every new friend that comes along; the best people you know and the ones you can trust with your life are the friends you’ve known since childhood.

Boys love bums, no matter how meagre. So stop being so self-conscious about yours – it’s perfectly adequate. Also, you’re better-looking and skinnier than you think you are.

Enjoy life and have fun! 

You’ll be okay.

Soak-Off Gel ("Shellac") - First Impressions

Bio Seaweed Soak-Off Gel in Grapefruit

I know.   I know!  I must be the last woman within my age bracket in the developed world to properly try "shellac", or soak-off gel polishes.  Soak-off gels

Why I'm Awesome At My Job

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The following are some verbatim requests from my boss that I've fulfilled at work:

“Tina, I need to find someone. He’s