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