Things That Make You Go Oooooo (July 2012)

Here I am blogging from my home in Thailand sipping on an ice tea and munching on a mango if only this summer could last forever. I feel like this trip is exactly what I needed to get me inspired and figure out what it is I really want to do in my life so here are a few inspired and fun reads for you to check out this month to get you re-energized and focused:

♥ 20 Lazy Girl Summer Beauty Tips - Just a few simple and easy tips to keep you looking fresh and healthy this summer.

♥ Five Manifestos for the Creative Life

♥ Happiness Is Simple: Why Too Many Choices Make Us Miserable & 5 Ways To Improve Your Life! - This is a great article with some interesting thoughts from my fave blogger Gala Darling, I do believe that less can be more and far too often we like to complicate our lives when the simplest option really is the best.

♥ The Secret - This is quite an interesting concept and I think at it's core it's trying to get us to think about our lives in a more positive light and being positive is something I always strive very hard to be.

♥ That's Why You Don't Have Any Friends

♥ 5 Ways to Use Impulsivity as (jet) Fuel For Your Dream - Some times being impulsive is the best way to get things done!

♥ How To Style Long Hair Short - This is such a cute look and would be perfect to wear on a hot summer day

♥ A Simple Prescription for Natural Healing

♥ I Fly Solo & I Love It - I absolutely love my alone time sometimes it's nice to just go out and do something nice for yourself without having to worry about anyone else.

♥ D.I.Y. Flower Crown - I want to make so many of these for myself this summer.

♥ 5 Things Every Blog Should Have

♥ Hello Kitty Beauty Spa - I would absolutely love to visit this spa, I'm such a Hello Kitty fan and this just looks puuuurfect!

♥ Writing in the Dark - I find I'm at my most creative past midnight a trait which I'm sure my fellow bloggers/crafters share to!

♥ Why You Should Take a Career Sabbatical

♥ Two Dollars - Life is made for living, there's no point sitting on a mountain of money if you don't use it to enjoy life.

♥ 3 Things to Know When Buying SPF This Summer - It makes me so happy to hear they're getting serious with suncare and that those number will actually mean something now!

♥ 50 Ways to Say You're Awesome

♥ Life is a Bowl of Chocolate Truffles - This is such a happy mix I had to share it, play it in the moring and it will put you in a great mood for the rest of the day.

♥ Messy Chunky Beach Waves - The perfect mermaid style for the summer

♥ Summer City Shoes

♥ How To Tie The Perfect Chignon Bun - Buns are a great summer look and perfect for those hot and  sweaty days.

Sunshine & Cocktails

Cate

xoxo

Beauty Blitz: 5 July Faves

I swore to myself that before I hit Skinfood and Watsons to stock up on my favourite skincare products that I would use up what was left of my beauty stash, which now actually isn't that much so I have to give props to myself for being able to resist temptation and not wasting all those products I had hidden away for so long, although no doubt as soon as I set foot inside a Skinfood store I won't be able to control myself but I think after all these months of abstaining I deserve a treat right...RIGHT!?

The Body Shop Strawberry Body Butter

I'm sure I've mentioned this one before but I am absolutely loving it at the moment as it smells just like a strawberry milkshake, I've been slapping that much of it on recently that all I keep hearing is "you smell like strawberries" which has to be the cutest compliment ever!

Balm Balm Coconut Cleanser

When I first tried this I just didn't like it at all it as it was so greasy and hard to wash off however I found if you dab a little bit of it on a cotton wool pad it works wonders as an eye make-up remover. I've been searching high and low for a good eye make-up remover as none I've tried so far seem to do a good job leaving me with panda eyes in the morning but this actually gets every bit of eyeliner and mascara off and is really gentle on your eyes to.

Skinfood Ancient Rice Serum

After I ran out of my regular night moisturiser my mum gave me this to use up and I have to say I love it, it's designed for to firm and moisturise wrinkled skin and although I don't have any wrinkles every morning since I've used it my skin has just looked so fresh and vibrant so it's really worked wonders on brightening my complexion.

Sephora Daily Brush Cleaner

I always try my best to keep my make-up brushes as clean as I can although sometimes I just don't have time to give them a proper cleaning so I use this instead, this is a great product to travel with as it dries really quickly and keeps your brushes fresh and clean which means you can use one brush for multiple colours, great for when you're on the move and don't have your full make-up kit with you.

Blue Lagoon Silica Mud Mask

Iceland stole my heart when I visited there last year so using this not only brings back some great memories but also keep me looking fresh. I really love this mask as it goes on pretty smooth and doesn't dry too hard and it leaves my skin feeling really soft, I only bought a little travel sized sample of it so maybe I'll have to plan another trip to Iceland soon to stock up on more...

Love & Bubbles

Cate

xoxo

Spicy Thai Chicken Cakes

Some of you may already know that I teach Thai cookery classes with my mum so I thought seeing as I'm currently in Thailand enjoying the sunshine and the good food with my family I would share some simple Thai recipes so you guys can enjoy some of that delicious food to.

Ingredients

• 300g Minced Chicken
• 1 tsp Thai Red Curry Paste
• 10 Fine Green Beans
• 5 Kaffir Lime Leaves
• 5 Thai Sweet Basil Leaves
• 1 Egg
• 1 tbsp Fish sauce

 (Makes approx 15 - 20)

♥ Mix together in a blender the chicken, curry paste, egg and fish sauce until a smooth mixture is formed.

♥ Finely chop the green beans, kaffir lime leaves and Thai sweet basil then add this to the chicken mixture and mix together thoroughly.

♥ Take a tablespoon of the mixture and form into small round patties, be sure not to make them to large or thick or the mixture will not cook properly.

♥ Fry the chicken cakes in a deep fryer for a few minutes until they are cooked throughout and golden brown.

Eat & Enjoy!

Cate

xoxo

Inspirational Quotes #28

Clothes and jewellery should be startling, individual. When you see a woman in my clothes, you want to know more about them. To me, that is what distinguishes good designers from bad designers.
- Alexander McQueen

Thailand, here I come!

The day has finally arrived and in a few hours I will be on my way to Thailand to spend two glorious months with my family, friends and my doggie, eating all my favourite foods and visiting some amazing places, I just can't wait! I have a few posts scheduled for you to read if I can't get internet access but I will try as best I can to keep you all updated on my travels there.

Be sure to add me on Twitter (@Cateaclysmic) for daily updates and also on Instagram (@Cateaclysmic) as no doubt I will be documenting every possible second of my travels!

I hope you all have a wonderful summer

Love & Mangos

Cate

xoxo

The Frequent Flyer: Ultimate List of Travel Links (Part 2)

It's that time of year again when we're all planning our summer getaways, I'm currently about to embark on an adventure of my own back to my homeland in Thailand so here's a little inspiration for anyone planning their own travels this year and be sure to check out last years Travel Links for even more advice and inspiration!

☆ Solo Travel in a Nutshell - I love travelling alone, it can be quite scary at first but here are some great tips on how to have a solo adventure.

☆ Top Tips For Staying Safe in Asia

☆ 5 Free Things to Do in 5 of the Most Expensive Cities - Travel doesn't always have to be expensive with a little research you can find a whole amazing world of things to see and do for free.

☆ City or Sand: What's Your Travel Personality? - As much as I like the idea of visiting a beautiful sandy beach and lazing all day I'm definitely more of a city girl, what about you guys?

☆ 100 Incredible Views Out of Airplane Windows

☆ 4 Tips for Traveling Without Reducing your Neurotic Parents into Nervous, Gibbering Wrecks - I don't know about you guys but it doesn't matter where I am or that I'm an adult my parents always stress about me when I'm away so it's important to stay in touch and give them a means to contact you just in case there's an emergency.

☆ How To Have A Fabulous, Luxurious Retreat -- & Produce Your Best Work Ever -- Without Leaving Your House! - Because sometimes we just can't jet off someplace quiet, so here's how to have a retreat at home.

☆ How to Be the Best House Guest Ever

☆ How to Travel When You're Not Travelling - If you can't go abroad you can always find some fun things to do at home.

☆ Travel Make Up Kit -I always love seeing what products people like to travel with.

☆ Packing with just a Carry-on Suitcase

☆ How To Pack: Long Weekend City Trip - A great post on what to take away with you, I like to plan my outfits I take away so I don't end up packing too many things.

☆ Fashion District Los Angeles Mini Guide - Some great tips and a great place to visit if you've ever in LA!

☆ The Only 3 Vintage Stores In Los Angeles You'll Ever Need!

☆ My Top 10 Favourite Things About Disneyland - I LOVE Disneyland, and if you've never been you should really aim to go one day as it really is the happiest place on Earth!

☆ 10 Tips For Travelling Well: Air Travel - Some great tips to make air travel less stressful.

☆ Why You Should Travel Alone

☆ Do It While You're Young - A great resource full of stories, tips, tricks and deals for planning your own epic adventure.

☆ Tokyo Tips - A great little blog run by the talented and gorgeous artists (and one of my faves) Bei Badgirl after reading this you'll desperately want to jet of to Japan!

☆ 5 Things You Can't Miss In Osaka, Japan

☆ Bangkok - Top 5 Culture Shockers - Be warned this can be quite gruesome if you're easily offended, but there's some unusual places on this list if you like your vacations with an added touch of the weird!

☆ 15 Golden Rules to Live by While Travelling The World - I love these tips, especially the soap thing as it's something I've never thought of before!

☆ The Sense of Loss in a Big Adventure

☆ Salt Labs - The perfect addition to any adventurers home and would make great gifts to.

☆ Shopping in Hong Kong - A great guide for anyone wanting to visit Hong Kong and seek out some great bargains!

☆ The Birthday Suitcase

☆ Daytrippin' to Macau - Everytime Winnie posts about her trips to Macau it makes me want to visit there so badly!

☆ How to Visit Iceland in a Flying Machine -It's not a secret that I've fallen completely in love with Iceland if you haven't been there yet you should really make plans to do so!

☆ Beautiful Iceland

☆ 'Game of Thrones' in the Real World - When two of my biggest passions collide, although I didn't meet the Night's Watch when I was in Iceland the locations I visited which they filmed in were just so spectacular and beautiful, I can't wait to see more of the "real life" Game of Thrones world!

☆ 101 things to do in New York City in the winter - Spending Christmas in New York is one of the things on my life list it looks like such an amazing place with so many things to do.

☆ 5 Tips For Travelling Alone

☆ Tips For Your Own Brave Adventure - I loved reading about Elizabeth's travels in her Brave, it seemed like such an amazing adventure and something I would love to do one day!

☆ Cute in Korea - An awesome and amazingly cute guide to Korean life by one of my favourite artists Miss Kika

☆ An Ode to Airports

☆ Travel is an experience in perception - "When we travel, we learn as much about ourselves as our destinations" this is so true when I'm on my travels I learn so much about myself and really feel that it makes me who I am.

Adventures & Memories

Cate

xoxo