Valentine's Day 2011

February is the month when love pervades the air. Romance, love, mushiness...whatever you think of Valentines Day, it is infectious and you can't escape from it. Not even on this blog  :-)

This Valentines Day, sizzle up your home with...

Leopard prints. They are making a strong comeback, as are other safari prints like zebra stripes. These safari feline prints are sensual, alluring and in my humble opinion, it screams 'adults only'. 

via From The Right Bank

Fresh flowers in vibrant colours that aren't professionally arranged is an inexpensive way to say "I love you".

Fresh flowers - Source unknown

If it's not your style to utter those three words, express your L.O.V.E. in writing.

Love wall hanging by Paul Smith

Warm lighting from flickering candles sets the mood if you're having your Valentine over for dinner or coffee or whatever. 

Here's wishing all my readers a beautiful and romantic Valentines Day. 

My husband and I - taken in Taipei 2008

* Some images are from unknown sources. Please email me if it belongs to you and I'll happily credit you for it.

Egypt

Hello! I'm finally back from the 9 day tour around Egypt. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and toyed with the idea of spending a few more days exploring Cairo on my own but 9 days was the most that I could be apart from my babies. 

Egypt is strategically located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Sudan is located south of Egypt, the Sahara desert is in the west and the Nile river cuts right through. The country is rich in its history, with the oldest civilization known to man that dates back 4,000 years, as it is also rich in culture. It is a melting pot of Roman influence, Arabic heritage and African beliefs...all of which were vaguely familiar to me until my visit. 

Save for the part where I left the Egypt guide book in the tour bus and losing the sleeve of a foldable umbrella that I bought from Taipei, the trip went smoothly. There's nothing more that I could wish for a holiday but a good time, sweet memories and to get back home safely.

Here are some of the eye candy (the home decor kind) that I spotted in hotels and restaurants that we patronised:

Zanzibar chest - a typical Arabic design for a chest

Close-up of the Zanzibar chest

A multitude of colourful pendant lights

Solo pendant lights hung from the beautifully painted ceiling of a restaurant

Finally, here's another kind of eye candy...cute Egyptian boys shaking like Shakira:

Florence Broadhurst in Qantas Business Class

If you are fortunate enough to travel in class, I mean Qantas Business Class, look out for the newly released amenity kits featuring Florence Broadhurst's Hollow Square and Oriental Filigree prints.

Qantas Business Class amenity kit in Florence Broadhurst's Oriental Filigree print

If you would like to know more about Florence Broadhurst's prints for fabrics, please drop me an email.

Ho Chi Minh City

Hi! I'm back from a week long holiday in Ho Chi Minh. It all started out well until the second day when I fell ill with a viral fever and spent much of my time for the rest of the days sleeping in the hotel, leaving my husband to tour the city on his own.

We stayed at Ma Maison, a charming little Provence inspired boutique hotel about 20 minutes from the city center.

A perfectly manicured garden at the hotel's front

Guest dining area

Located a few lanes behind a block of buildings, the hotel is inaccessible by car and we were dropped off the main street . The short walk to the hotel gave us a glimpse into the homes of local folks.

The must-haves in Vietnam...

Pho (beef noodles in a delicious broth)

Broken rice

Spring rolls...so many types

Vietnamese coffee

Buildings in Vietnam are typically narrow and phone lines are haphazardly strung around the city. The infrastructure in Ho Chi Minh may appear disorganized but there is WiFi in nearly every cafe and restaurant. Great for modern kids like us.

Whether it is coffee at a chic cafe or cool drink at a roadside stall, Vietnamese folks love to hang out and watch the action of the bustling city as they unwind over their favourite drink.

I'll leave out the attractions that we visited and end it with my lasting impression of Vietnam, that is a country that has gone through formidable change from its war torn state only a few decades ago to a modern and vibrant place that it is today.