myretroperspective

When we left for Korea, all we were allowed to bring were two fifty pound bags each. This may seem like a lot but if you figure in all the toiletries, towels, sheets, coats, shoes and clothes we needed to bring, those two bags filled up quick! And trust me, I used every ounce of allowed space. I admit, at first, just having a handful of clothes compared to back home was refreshing. It was an exciting challenge to come up with new and different outfits. And let me tell ya....it grew old...fast. Where were my thrift shops, discount stores, shopping malls? Where was my Target ?! Shopping in Korea isn't terrible . I can find tops and the occasional skirt that isn't butt cheek showing high. But forget about discounts, pants that don't fit like capris and don't even get me started on the smaller stores that don't even let you try anything on before buying it! I've survived by doing my fair share of internet shopping and stocking up at H&M when we visit larger citi...

With traveling there comes certain...difficulties. All of which are well worth the pain and inconvenience of course. One of my struggles in traveling is my hair. Left to air dry, it's limp and flat. In humidity, it gets one awkward wave and the rest is frizzy. I'm always envious of girls that can shower and go and be left with full, wavy hair (how do you do it?!). And with this trip to Thailand, I'm not sure what amenities we will be provided. Meaning, there may not always be a blowdryer and my straightener and curling iron won't work with their currency. Even in Korea I have to use a bulky transformer for my American products to work. So in order to combat this inconvenience I've looked up some fast and easy hair do's that will work with my lack of hair tools and will also keep my hair out of the way in the hot and humid weather. Below are some of my favorites that I've tried and have stayed looking good all day (just what we traveling girls need for all th...

I am so thankful that even though I live in the country where the majority does not celebrate Christmas, it is still looked upon as a national holiday, therefore...no school. With that being said, a variety of Christmas decorations are harder to come by here and are a bit pricier compared to back home. Don't get me wrong, there is still a Christmas section at the local grocery store. But a lot of it looks like what you would find on clearance after the holidays in the states, an overload of glitter and tinsel. Not exactly our taste in decorations. This is probably not the case everywhere in Korea, but it has certainly been my experience. So in an effort to have decorations similar to what we would have back home I set to work on four different crafts which are simple and inexpensive enough to do anywhere.  Star Garland What you need: card stock paper hole punch twine hooks I did this craft last year in a smaller size in order to make a silver star for the top of our tree. I printed...

Anyone else's man participate in No Shave November? Hubs actually did his a little early and grew out a nice 80's worthy stache in October. But to commemorate this wonderful yearly tradition I tried out a little DIY project that I have seen floating around. This is an easy craft to do and would also make a great gift! I grabbed two porcelain mugs, a permanent marker (I hear the more expensive markers such as Pebeo Markers work better and also the design stays on better) and printed out a mustache from online.  I traced the stache shape onto the mug and colored it in. Next, I popped them into the oven at 350 and baked the mugs for 30 minutes. Allow them to cool completely before washing or using. Note:do not try to wash in the dishwasher, the design may smudge or come off, it is best if you only hand wash the mugs) I hope everyone is having a great week and is getting excited for December and holiday celebrations!

Getting Zeke has provided so may additional challenges than I first expected, both good and bad. I didn't grow up with pets (unless a fish counts) and even when my parents finally caved and got a dog at the age of 12, it was a family dog. I've been reading up on how to train cats (if that's even possible) and asking cat loving friends for advice. But nothing could prepare me for his obsession with chewing on paper and whining at your feet to be held. Although, I do admit, the latter is just cute.  One challenge, however, that I signed myself up for was making toys. Yes...making. As if Korea hasn't already made me into enough of a Martha Stewart wannabe with my homemade crackers and Christmas decorations. Animal toys are readily available here and for a decent price but I figured it would be almost just as easy and cheap to make them myself. Especially since they didn't have to be anything too elaborate seeing as how he is easily entertained with a wadded up piece of...

this december has been surprisingly cold outside. when we first came to korea it was cold but we were told not to turn on the floor heat in the apartment because the cost of it was so high. (apartments here have heated floors instead of central heat) so we plugged in an electrical heater and thought nothing more of it. turns out, it was just as expensive if not more so. our bill was the highest in our building (something i'm slightly proud of) and a government official was sent to our house to find out why we were wasting so much electricity. i guess we know better for next year. we were debating whether or not to get a tree but the holiday season just doesn't seem the same without one. we went to homeplus (the local supermarket) to look for one. we saw a lot of decorations and decided to come back the next week to pick some out. by the time we got back to the store, around the 10th of december, everything was sold out. they had a sad looking fake tree and some bulb ornaments l...