Spring began with the vernal equinox at 7:02 A.M. (EDT) last March 20, 2013 in the Northern Hemisphere. Here’s more about the start of spring, what I think about spring, and stunning spring photos!
Ah, spring! This season brings increasing daylight, warming temperatures,and the rebirth of flora and fauna.
The word equinox is derived from the Latin words meaning “equal night.” Days and nights are approximately equal everywhere and the sun rises and sets due east and west.
At the equinoxes, the tilt of Earth relative to the Sun is zero, which means that Earth’s axis neither points toward nor away from the Sun. (However, the tilt of Earth relative to its plane of orbit, called the ecliptic plane, is always about 23.5 degrees.)
- http://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-spring-vernal-equinox
I've been reviewing last year's trend and I still love the vibe Springtime brings. The smell of the budding flowers, the sound of the chirping birds, the idea of playing with explosive colors and the day that awaits for new adventures to happen. It gives you the freedom to generate endorphin release by everything you see that are coming "alive". From the limiting winter, spring allows you to recreate your style in fashion, paves a way to going for outdoor activities and many more. This ain't the season to just sit at home and be still so allow me to refresh your eyes with splendid ideas to do this Spring.
1. FASHION
Like what I said earlier, Winter had limited you to getting covered by thick jackets, wool neck warmers, ear muffs, leather gloves and UGG boots. This time of the year, match colors that you least expect to go with another - for a change. Highlight curves by picking the right mid-leg skinny pants and give a glimpse of your mysterious bod by choosing lace or silhouette silk fabrics that leaves it room to breath. The picture on the left could be a cool basis for what I'm talking about.
I just went to Elements Mall and man did I see a lot of stores featuring a lot of shouting neon shoes, accessories and scarves. Jeans like these in the picture can be seen and purchased in Zara. For shoes, H&M are on them neon heels and ballet flats that are available on "sorbets".
Lane Crawford features its Spring collection combining art with renowned artists' views. The picture below of a skeleton stands for this campaign.
What surprised me the most was "Hogan"'s collection, which for the longest time had featured silver, black and leather. Now they are sporting rubber shoes and shirts with the same outlook - colorful! For a lot, the hues melon, ube and cherry blossom seem so fun. Accessories also play a great role in doing these colors. The weather gets warm by the day and becomes breezy in the evening. To that, headbands could be helpful all through out the day to keep your 'do in place. For your own warmth, cardigans are advised to be in the bag so that once it gets chilly, you're ready. If it doesn't favor a cold night, it can easily be tied around the waist.
You get to wear different sandals too and open-toe heels which leads us to the second thing you may be dying to do.
2. EXPRESSION
To some, they lack the push. It's important to be surrounded with positive energy that would suffice you with that support when you are ready to embrace change. May it be about how you dress up, acquiring a new lifestyle or changing careers. In any of these, remember that you need to stay true with who you are. Because how you understand yourself would reflect how you carry yourself.
Vibrant colors are all around us during Springtime. And one way to know what kind of personality you have is how you express yourself thru the style you pick. Keeping in mind the cliche, "Don't judge a the book by it's cover.", is important that you'd consider the occasion that you're going to attend, the age bracket you're in and the work you do when you groom up. Say, in choosing the shade for your nail polish, pick your favorite color and style up around it. You're allowed to play with any shade as much as you like. Usually, a darker blue denotes power, fuscia pink is fun to wear at the beach and peach embraces natural clean up. Make the pastel greens, baby blue, orange and yellow go for that weekend road trips. Personally, I love keeping it classic. French tip, blood red and electric blue are always my picks.
3. DECOR
Your house should be treated as your own sanctuary. The change of seasons are always a good excuse to redecorate. To give your humble abode a different vibe, you can decide on getting colorful vases like these. If you put it by the window, it will be ready to wake you up in the morning with a warm greeting together with the sun seeping thru.
It doesn't stop there. The kitchen could also be full of fun for a workplace and so would your dining table if you had to eat on these:
While I was studying nursing before and were reading about how to feed kids on their terrible two's, there was a suggestion to put colorful food altogether so that they'd have a feel of "play" still even if it's all about "eating" compared to what they'd prefer to do = "play". So the next thing about Spring, is playing RESPONSIBLY by combining having fun with "productivity".
4. PRODUCTIVITY
Everyday is an opportunity to try doing or creating something new. It's most special when you share the experience with a friend or with your family.
Boundless ideas pour on us every time and there's nothing much better to do than be productive about it. Here is an inspiration of how you can innovate your ideas.
Hobbies can reach that point in time that you may find it boring from how it used to be moving you. But if you continuously find a way of giving it a different approach, an outcome like these flavorful cupcakes can make a crowd go "Wow!" To a lot of people, baking could be a means of killing time, earning money or bonding with their family, whichever reason, this tip of mixing and matching colors and flavors may do you so much good
This goes the same with our next best thing to do during Spring time.
5. NUTRITION
The kitchen should not be limited to the usual viands and selections that we prepare for our family. Alongside "productivity" and "decorating", keeping in mind "presentation" is a huge factor to consider when preparing a meal for our loved ones. Yet again, being playful, indulging to the crispy-ness of Springtime and your own momentum for creativity would make wonders for the food you're about to prepare. Here, I've encountered some snacks via Pinterest that are rainbow themed and would surely make kids running to you to have a joyous experience.
I found these flavored syrups in Elements. These are nice ideas too from Spring segue to Summer crushed ice breaker for the warm days that may Start from April all the way to the first weeks of August. My personal favorite is the Kiwi one. Together with the rest of the fruits, these snacks or drinks instantly replenish the body and keeps it hydrated all through out the day. Hopefully, with these ideas, you won't have a hard time gathering up the kids after playing outdoors.
Not only kids may enjoy these colorful treats. Cocktails may also be enjoyed in the evening by the adults. You spending time with colleagues may be a refreshing idea and I'm pretty sure presenting your drinks this way would not only be perceived as inviting but may also be found remarkable. Impressive presentations like these may just catch your superior's attention once your colleagues would be talking about it to him/her after having a great weekender at your place. Being as imaginative as you can be may just lead to anything. Not all people own qualities of being a good host at parties. This way, you may be marked as prepared not just inside the office but also outside work in which you may be regarded as having that varied sense of commercialism.
6. BALANCE
As I've emphasized the importance of balance in everything in most of my blog-posts, engaging in outdoor activities are also suggested once the sun comes out after Winter. Make sure that during Springtime weekends, after a week's work, you give time for yourself.
Smell the blooming flowers and inhale that refreshing energy from nature itself. Springtime is the best time to do hiking. Winter is just too cold and summer is just to hot - simple as that. This doesn't make you escape from putting on sunscreen and most especially, bug spray. One thing I noticed is that, the moment the sun comes out here in Hong Kong, so would the tiniest but most annoying bugs. So whether you'd be deciding on hitting the beach, going for a picnic or deciding on hiking, prepare the necessary protection for your skin. In addition, bring adequate supply of food and water to keep your body replenished to counteract the water loss. Probably, during Winter, you've been in the gym burning the guilt away from those Holiday feasts. So, this time around, I'm inviting you to jog around the neighborhood or at parks to rejuvenate your lungs with fresh air while it's not too hot for it. This way, you could make your body leaner for that new swimsuit you've purchased for the upcoming Summer.
7. COLLECTION
It is important to truly know what's worth it for your money when going shopping. A secret of mine when looking for long-term finds are:
a. I choose basic staples.
Nude, White and Black are what you'd mostly see in my closet. Because no matter what the season is, these colors never go out of style. I just make sure that when a certain season kicks in, I have something to match with what I have and still make it pumping!
Like these cute bows, it may give the basics I have a different vibe.
b. I purchase those that I know will serve me right.
It's undeniable that I have an unusual body type. The most difficult that I'm struggling with is my lower body. My hips don't lie let me tell you that! While my waist seem to be smaller than the usual hip size it'd go with normally. So, whenever I am blessed to really bang a good find (most especially pants), I purchase 2 or 3 of it. It's hard to find the right fit for me so when I am satisfied with the fit, there would be no hesitations at all. It makes me save money too rather than buy one of each style and then the ending would be, not all of them look good on me at all.
Another addiction would be flip flops. Ipanema and Havaianas offer a great line of slippers that I may use not only during Springtime but also all the way to Summer. It doesn't easily break and it makes my feet rest from heels which are good. I have bunions that tend to kill me a day after I wear heels so, alternating foot wear is a must for me. I also love taking walks so, these benefit me a lot.
c. I purchase during end-of the-season SALE periods for the next year's season.
For example, Summer is almost up but I usually, check on items that may be long-sleeved or thick or may be made of wool (any finds that are good for Winter) because usually, they are priced cheaper than buying it "during" Winter. So, I'm a year ahead when buying stuff. But this practice requires a high standard skill in choosing the fabric. Because, you don't want them to wear out while it gets kept in the closet for 3 more seasons. The last thing you'd want to see would be a sweater deteriorating like OREO as you get back to it. LOL!!!!
I like fabrics made in Bangladesh, Cambodia and India. My clothes that served me the longest are made from these countries and their designs and the very material of it is strong. Even if you put it in the dryer, it rarely shrinks. Or it would take 3 years for it to get worn out.
No bias, Philippines also got a lot of nice clothes compared to anywhere else. As far as I know, SM Department Stores and Robinson's Department Stores have their own factories where independent designers are encouraged to work on their own staples and most of them choose strong fabrics but are priced cheap. If not, you'd be able to explain how reasonable it is because of the details of how it was made.
8. VIBRANCE
"Less is more".
I've always lived around this saying. But that doesn't mean you miss out on being vibrant. Understanding what you need versus what you want could help you out in which lifestyle you should keep. Don't be afraid that people will judge you based on your looks. What's most important is for you to accept the real you. Never live under a shadow of anybody. I know most of the ladies have that dream of being a Victoria's Secret angel but not knowing that somebody actually sees you more than that is something. And that energy should start from you. How people would see you directly lies on how you act around them.
So for the last best thing that I could think about Springtime, celebrate yourself by shining your own light - by staying truthful with your thoughts and being passionate with your actions. Your smile is the best asset so this is the easiest thing to share to anybody. Surround yourself with people who offer positive reinforcements. Springtime is a season full of promise with the life it brings and offers you. Have a great one!
The Vernal Equinox
Ah, spring! This season brings increasing daylight, warming temperatures,and the rebirth of flora and fauna.The word equinox is derived from the Latin words meaning “equal night.” Days and nights are approximately equal everywhere and the sun rises and sets due east and west.
At the equinoxes, the tilt of Earth relative to the Sun is zero, which means that Earth’s axis neither points toward nor away from the Sun. (However, the tilt of Earth relative to its plane of orbit, called the ecliptic plane, is always about 23.5 degrees.)
- http://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-spring-vernal-equinox
I've been reviewing last year's trend and I still love the vibe Springtime brings. The smell of the budding flowers, the sound of the chirping birds, the idea of playing with explosive colors and the day that awaits for new adventures to happen. It gives you the freedom to generate endorphin release by everything you see that are coming "alive". From the limiting winter, spring allows you to recreate your style in fashion, paves a way to going for outdoor activities and many more. This ain't the season to just sit at home and be still so allow me to refresh your eyes with splendid ideas to do this Spring.
Like what I said earlier, Winter had limited you to getting covered by thick jackets, wool neck warmers, ear muffs, leather gloves and UGG boots. This time of the year, match colors that you least expect to go with another - for a change. Highlight curves by picking the right mid-leg skinny pants and give a glimpse of your mysterious bod by choosing lace or silhouette silk fabrics that leaves it room to breath. The picture on the left could be a cool basis for what I'm talking about.
I just went to Elements Mall and man did I see a lot of stores featuring a lot of shouting neon shoes, accessories and scarves. Jeans like these in the picture can be seen and purchased in Zara. For shoes, H&M are on them neon heels and ballet flats that are available on "sorbets".
Lane Crawford features its Spring collection combining art with renowned artists' views. The picture below of a skeleton stands for this campaign.
What surprised me the most was "Hogan"'s collection, which for the longest time had featured silver, black and leather. Now they are sporting rubber shoes and shirts with the same outlook - colorful! For a lot, the hues melon, ube and cherry blossom seem so fun. Accessories also play a great role in doing these colors. The weather gets warm by the day and becomes breezy in the evening. To that, headbands could be helpful all through out the day to keep your 'do in place. For your own warmth, cardigans are advised to be in the bag so that once it gets chilly, you're ready. If it doesn't favor a cold night, it can easily be tied around the waist.
You get to wear different sandals too and open-toe heels which leads us to the second thing you may be dying to do.
2. EXPRESSION
Vibrant colors are all around us during Springtime. And one way to know what kind of personality you have is how you express yourself thru the style you pick. Keeping in mind the cliche, "Don't judge a the book by it's cover.", is important that you'd consider the occasion that you're going to attend, the age bracket you're in and the work you do when you groom up. Say, in choosing the shade for your nail polish, pick your favorite color and style up around it. You're allowed to play with any shade as much as you like. Usually, a darker blue denotes power, fuscia pink is fun to wear at the beach and peach embraces natural clean up. Make the pastel greens, baby blue, orange and yellow go for that weekend road trips. Personally, I love keeping it classic. French tip, blood red and electric blue are always my picks.
3. DECOR
Your house should be treated as your own sanctuary. The change of seasons are always a good excuse to redecorate. To give your humble abode a different vibe, you can decide on getting colorful vases like these. If you put it by the window, it will be ready to wake you up in the morning with a warm greeting together with the sun seeping thru.
While I was studying nursing before and were reading about how to feed kids on their terrible two's, there was a suggestion to put colorful food altogether so that they'd have a feel of "play" still even if it's all about "eating" compared to what they'd prefer to do = "play". So the next thing about Spring, is playing RESPONSIBLY by combining having fun with "productivity".
4. PRODUCTIVITY
Boundless ideas pour on us every time and there's nothing much better to do than be productive about it. Here is an inspiration of how you can innovate your ideas.
Hobbies can reach that point in time that you may find it boring from how it used to be moving you. But if you continuously find a way of giving it a different approach, an outcome like these flavorful cupcakes can make a crowd go "Wow!" To a lot of people, baking could be a means of killing time, earning money or bonding with their family, whichever reason, this tip of mixing and matching colors and flavors may do you so much good
This goes the same with our next best thing to do during Spring time.
5. NUTRITION
The kitchen should not be limited to the usual viands and selections that we prepare for our family. Alongside "productivity" and "decorating", keeping in mind "presentation" is a huge factor to consider when preparing a meal for our loved ones. Yet again, being playful, indulging to the crispy-ness of Springtime and your own momentum for creativity would make wonders for the food you're about to prepare. Here, I've encountered some snacks via Pinterest that are rainbow themed and would surely make kids running to you to have a joyous experience.
 |
| Pancakes layered with Assorted Fruits |
 |
| Rainbow Jello Desserts |
 |
| Rainbow Pancakes with Maple Syrup |
 |
| Fruit Snacks |
I found these flavored syrups in Elements. These are nice ideas too from Spring segue to Summer crushed ice breaker for the warm days that may Start from April all the way to the first weeks of August. My personal favorite is the Kiwi one. Together with the rest of the fruits, these snacks or drinks instantly replenish the body and keeps it hydrated all through out the day. Hopefully, with these ideas, you won't have a hard time gathering up the kids after playing outdoors.
Not only kids may enjoy these colorful treats. Cocktails may also be enjoyed in the evening by the adults. You spending time with colleagues may be a refreshing idea and I'm pretty sure presenting your drinks this way would not only be perceived as inviting but may also be found remarkable. Impressive presentations like these may just catch your superior's attention once your colleagues would be talking about it to him/her after having a great weekender at your place. Being as imaginative as you can be may just lead to anything. Not all people own qualities of being a good host at parties. This way, you may be marked as prepared not just inside the office but also outside work in which you may be regarded as having that varied sense of commercialism.
6. BALANCE
Smell the blooming flowers and inhale that refreshing energy from nature itself. Springtime is the best time to do hiking. Winter is just too cold and summer is just to hot - simple as that. This doesn't make you escape from putting on sunscreen and most especially, bug spray. One thing I noticed is that, the moment the sun comes out here in Hong Kong, so would the tiniest but most annoying bugs. So whether you'd be deciding on hitting the beach, going for a picnic or deciding on hiking, prepare the necessary protection for your skin. In addition, bring adequate supply of food and water to keep your body replenished to counteract the water loss. Probably, during Winter, you've been in the gym burning the guilt away from those Holiday feasts. So, this time around, I'm inviting you to jog around the neighborhood or at parks to rejuvenate your lungs with fresh air while it's not too hot for it. This way, you could make your body leaner for that new swimsuit you've purchased for the upcoming Summer.
7. COLLECTION
It is important to truly know what's worth it for your money when going shopping. A secret of mine when looking for long-term finds are:a. I choose basic staples.
Nude, White and Black are what you'd mostly see in my closet. Because no matter what the season is, these colors never go out of style. I just make sure that when a certain season kicks in, I have something to match with what I have and still make it pumping!
Like these cute bows, it may give the basics I have a different vibe.
b. I purchase those that I know will serve me right.
It's undeniable that I have an unusual body type. The most difficult that I'm struggling with is my lower body. My hips don't lie let me tell you that! While my waist seem to be smaller than the usual hip size it'd go with normally. So, whenever I am blessed to really bang a good find (most especially pants), I purchase 2 or 3 of it. It's hard to find the right fit for me so when I am satisfied with the fit, there would be no hesitations at all. It makes me save money too rather than buy one of each style and then the ending would be, not all of them look good on me at all.
Another addiction would be flip flops. Ipanema and Havaianas offer a great line of slippers that I may use not only during Springtime but also all the way to Summer. It doesn't easily break and it makes my feet rest from heels which are good. I have bunions that tend to kill me a day after I wear heels so, alternating foot wear is a must for me. I also love taking walks so, these benefit me a lot.
c. I purchase during end-of the-season SALE periods for the next year's season.
I like fabrics made in Bangladesh, Cambodia and India. My clothes that served me the longest are made from these countries and their designs and the very material of it is strong. Even if you put it in the dryer, it rarely shrinks. Or it would take 3 years for it to get worn out.
No bias, Philippines also got a lot of nice clothes compared to anywhere else. As far as I know, SM Department Stores and Robinson's Department Stores have their own factories where independent designers are encouraged to work on their own staples and most of them choose strong fabrics but are priced cheap. If not, you'd be able to explain how reasonable it is because of the details of how it was made.
8. VIBRANCE
"Less is more".I've always lived around this saying. But that doesn't mean you miss out on being vibrant. Understanding what you need versus what you want could help you out in which lifestyle you should keep. Don't be afraid that people will judge you based on your looks. What's most important is for you to accept the real you. Never live under a shadow of anybody. I know most of the ladies have that dream of being a Victoria's Secret angel but not knowing that somebody actually sees you more than that is something. And that energy should start from you. How people would see you directly lies on how you act around them.
So for the last best thing that I could think about Springtime, celebrate yourself by shining your own light - by staying truthful with your thoughts and being passionate with your actions. Your smile is the best asset so this is the easiest thing to share to anybody. Surround yourself with people who offer positive reinforcements. Springtime is a season full of promise with the life it brings and offers you. Have a great one!