I have MOVED!!!

Dear Readers!

This little ol' blog has made the big jump and become a grown up website!

To see the new site click here. There is a gorgeous new stationery store waiting for you too...

Lots of love

CityGirl

www.citygirlsearching.com

DIY Paper Christmas Tree

We are very short of space in out little apartment here in South Korea, but we still wanted to make things a little more festive and so we thought to use what we do have around the house...wall space. This is a super easy DIY for a sweet Christmas tree that requires no physical space. Place above a table to allow for plenty or room to put prezzies under...

Website Launching Soon!

I am launching my new website and online store very soon! If you want to be notified when I go live, just fill in the form here >>>> Subscibe to CityGirlSearching

Thank you!

x

Blogging Tips...Keeping your Blog Post layout consistent

Have you ever thought about the actual design (layout, image sizes, fonts, graphics) of your blog posts? 

Think about the blogs that your enjoy reading. What do you like about them? I'm sure they make it easy for you to find content, to scroll, the actual blog post content is easy to read (the font isn't so small that you have to squint at the screen to read the title) and the general layout of each post is visually appealing. This makes the whole experience of reading a blog enjoyable. There is nothing worse than finding a blog with great content, but it's hard work just to sift through it and read the actual message of their posts.

So today I am going to be sharing with you some tips for your own blog post design, as well as some resources to help you if you don't happen to have a graphic designer friend who makes you free elements for your blog...

1. Use a Mixture of Images and Text

This helps to break up the monotony of the black and white visual elements of a written piece. If I come across a blog post, no matter how interesting it may be, if it is just line after line of black writing I immediately switch off and head to the next blog. I am a very visual person, and am attracted to pretty pictures. That's not to say that you can't have long posts with only text in them. Take a little time to use spacing properly (the term used here is 'white space') which makes text easier to read. If you do use images that aren't your own, always make sure to reference properly. Look what happened to this blogger when she incorrectly sourced someone else work. 

Here is a useful tool for finding the source of an image called src-image bookmarklet (just copy the url of the image, which you can find by right clicking and selecting the 'copy image url' option) and pasting into the search bar.

Plain text can be thought provoking and look great when done right (look here at my friend Kerry from Midlands Musings who writes beautifully and makes me actually want to read through more than 3 sentences at a time).

The most important thing here is to plan your post before hand and decide whether you will be using pictures or text, or both, and think about how to make them look more appealing in a blog post.

{I use a lot of white space in my blog posts to make them easier to read}

2. Choose your fonts and stick to them

If you are using Blogger for your blog, you will have found the template editor to be your best friend when it comes to the customizing your blog. From there you have complete control over the colours of your text, the fonts, the font sizes and the layout of every element. The lovely Katrina over at PuglyPixel recommends limiting the number of fonts you use to no more than three (one for post titles, one for the sidebar titles, and another for the post body). Too many fonts tend to make a page look really busy. Additionally, when choosing fonts for your text, aim for legible fonts in a readable size. Whatever font you choose, keep legibility in mind. The most readable font under 14px is Verdana and larger than that, Arial is the most readable." PuglyPixel.

When I first stared blogging I changed fonts like the weather, and still do from time to time. But now that I am designing my new website, it's important for me to establish my branding and to keep it consistent, so readers are able to place my blog design with my brand. It will make your blog look more professional and cohesive.

Blogger has a whole range of different fonts built into it, so you can really get your hands dirty and get creative to ensure your blog stands out from everyone else's.

{I use 3 fonts, one for my blog posts, one for the blog post headings, and another for my header and sidebar labels}

3. Set a standard width for your blog post images

When something sticks out, you tend to notice it, and think that it must be a mistake. Keeping your image size in blog posts consistent helps with providing an overall professional and clean impression. You can use a free program like PicMonkey to change the size of your images. When I create graphics and edit my photographs for my blog, I always resize them to be 650px, that is the default size of my blog post. Doing this keeps everything neat and tidy. By also resizing your pictures you ensure that they download quickly when people open up your blog. You can also use a site like PhotoBucket to store your images and resize them before uploading to your blog.

To create collages like I do here on the blog you can either use a fabulous paid for program like Blogstomp (I use Blogstomp to resize all my images, create collages and add my watermark to all my photographs) or a free online editing program like PicMonkey.

These are a just a few tips to help you on your way. Pop on over to these lovely blogs to learn more:

Elembee "Creating a Graphics Style Guide"

Glossary "Blog Design...A Couple of Tips"

InResidence "Amateur Blogging Tips"

AshleyEllaDesign "Creative Blogging Resources"

If you have any questions about blogging, or anything that you aren't clear about from the above tips, please pop me a comment below and I'll get back to you soon. Please also leave a comment if you have any other tips for making your blog posts pop!

Happy blogging everyone!

x

The FaceShop - Mango Seed Collection {review}

Following on the success of my last purchase of TheFaceShop skin care products (the Chia Seed Collection), I went ahead and bought two items in the Mango Seed collection. Well, to be fair on my purse, there was a fabulous promotion whereby upon spending an extra W2000 (about $2) for the cream, the store included a full size Mango Seed Essence. So I thought what the heck, I've never tried an essence before (it didn't matter that I had no idea what an essence was) into my little shopping basket it went.

Mango Seed Heart Volume Butter

This particular cream is the 'Heart Volume Butter' and apparently, when massaged into your skin while following a particular set of massage techniques (notice the picture above with those very specific moves lol) leaves your face plump and full of volume. Sounds amazing. But can it really be true? Most of the skin care products I have seen in stores here in Korea are sold alongside images of facial massage techniques and exercises, and patting and rubbing of the face. In essence, the more you massage the products into your skin, the more you are increasing the circulation, and, in a very small way, 'plumping' up your face and I guess, decreasing wrinkles. But, it's all a bit much for me. I already use a wide range of products on my face, I simply do not have time to make sure each one is applied with just the right amount of plumping and patting and massaging...but that's up to you :)

What the box promises:

Promise of mango seeds for Good Moisturization
1. Contains extracts of mango from Sudan (really?)
2. Contains ingredients obtained through fair trade
3. Moisturization and long lasting radiance
4. Say Goodbye to dry skin - 5 Solutions : puffiness, itchiness, poor absorption of makeup, poor elasticity, redness
5. Formulated without 7 additives (but what are these additives??)
6. Dermatologicallyt Tested

I was rather disappointed with the moisture content of this cream. It goes on beautifully, and smells amazing (this may or may not be a good thing for you, and you may not want to be smelling like a freshly picked piece of fruit all day). I say fruit as the fragrance was definitely not mango, but rather a light and fresh summery smell. I also had to use quite a lot of product to cover my whole face. As the jar only contains 50ml of product and goes for on average, a price of W22 000 a pop, you don't want to be having to restock after only a few weeks worth of use.

I found that my skin was better moisturized after the Chia Seed lotion (and lotions are technically a lot lighter than creams). I have read that for more moisture, you can apply cream after using lotion to combat extra dryness. I have combination skin, but winter has set in here in Korea and I always find the skin around my nose area gets dry very easily during this time of the year. Which is why I had such high hopes for the Mango Seed range (which is also more pricey than the Chia Seed range).

I now use this cream at night, in place of a night cream, and I do always wake up with very radiant looking skin (but that's probably more to do with the amount of water I drink and the number of hours of sleep I try to get).

I think this Volume Butter would be best suited to normal skin types, and for those people who are in the warmer seasons. It hasn't given me any extra moisture that I was hoping for, but does leave my skin feeling silky soft and smelling wonderful.

Mango Seed Spray Heart Volume Essence
I'm not entirely sure what this spray is supposed to do. There are no English instructions on the box it came in. I use it as a spray on toner to revitalize and add moisture to my skin. Alone I find it's not enough no that's it winter here. I spray it on my face straight after cleansing, and then apply a toner after, and then follow up with my SkinFood Black Sugar Skin Perfecting Serum (review to follow soon). It smells great, and definitely gets lapped up by my skin after cleansing. I haven't noticed any brightening or extra volume in my skin after the past few weeks of use. But, as it only cost me an additional $2 it was worth a try.

Are there any other Korean skincare brands that you enjoy using?

 I'd love to hear from you x

November through Instagram

So December is here, and has been for a week already. Goodness me. Christmas is now right around the corner. Have you got your Christmas gifts sorted yet? I'll be posting some online shopping ideas in the next few weeks, as well as some fun DIY ideas to get you in the festive mood. Have you been opening an advent calendar to count down the days? Have a look at this fun DIY I got up to a few weeks ago.

AND it's nearly all systems go for my new website and store! Feels like I have been talking about it for months (well, I really have) but not the day is nearly here...I am so excited to share with you a whole new level of pretty-ness. 

Watch this space!

x

Here is a little look back at some Instagram snaps from November...our trip to see the Autumn leaves, I wrote all about blogging and where to begin in our {Creative Business} series started by my fellow blogger friend Caitlyn, and of course stationery, stationery and more pretty stationery...

Goodbye Mandela

Today is a sad day. 

In the greater scheme of things, writing about my new favorite skin care product seems a bit trivial. 

So I'll leave you all with just this...

Rest in Peace Madiba.

{Snail Mail} Gratitude

Last month I took part in such a fun mail swop (the term being used to describe the recent revival of postal mail is snail mail) called The Snail Mail Collective. This particular snail mail package swop was organized by the lovely Melyssa of The Nectar Collective and Chelsea of Lost in Travels. The idea behind the Snail Mail Collective is this:

"It’s an easy, international package exchange. Aka, send a package, get a package. The goal is to provide an avenue to connect and get to know people from all over the world by exchanging packages and encouraging postcards each month. This is a great way to not only meet people around the world, but to also learn about new cultures and make new friends!" Melyssa

I signed up last month and was paired up with Rima who is from Indonesia but currently lives in California, USA. Rima runs the lovely blog Bulu by Rima which documents her and her man (she calls him PillowMan) adventures around  South East Asia. Rima is a Full-time Registered Nurse in Interventional Radiology/Emergency Medicine and a part-time Amateur Baker. She is just lovely! And we both LOVE stationery, so we were a match made in heaven (as you can see from all my wonderful goodies below).

Each month there is a theme that goes along with your package, and we have to try and keep the contents of our parcel under $5. Last months theme was gratitude. I am grateful for all the pretty things that I can find here in Korea, click here to see what I packaged up and sent to Rima!

This month will be the last month that the Snail Mail Collective will be run, there are still 2 days left to sign up so pop on over here if you still want to take part!

Thank you for everything Rima, I have loved getting to know you over the past month and I look forward to reading more about your adventures on your blog.

x

Life After the Dress...Nadia van der Mescht

I am so happy to introduce you all to my fourth guest here in my Life After the Dress series on the blog.

Nadia is a Creative Consultant, and I first met her at one of the I Heart Markets in Durban where she was selling her custom made button & ribbon brooches, corsages and boutonnieres. I took some photographs of her wonderful market display for a blog post, and then via our blogs and Facebook we became friends. Nadia is just such a lovely person, with such a warm heart. She has been doing so well on the creative scene in Durban, and is such an inspiration for other bloggers and creative people who are thinking about starting their own businesses in South Africa. We also commissioned her to make Farmboy and his groomsmen's boutonnieres for our wedding (she even included a beautiful brooch that matched for my hair), so thoughtful.

This talented lady is going places, so make sure to pop on over to her blog to see more of what she is all about.

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)

Hello, I am Nadia, a 29 year old creative business developer, consultant, blogger and wife. My husband, Daniel and I live in Durban. He is 36 and works as a furniture designer. On November 27th this year it will be our three year wedding anniversary.

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?

I would have to say Jasmine from Aladdin. When I was little I was in love with Aladdin and wished that one day I would meet my ‘diamond in the rough’. 

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?

How many hours do you have? 

My husband and I met while we lived in London. He was the IT guy allocated to our floor at Burberry. Our building was full of Italians, so when I met an Afrikaans man, I was quite amazed. Since then I have told many versions of our story including short versions, long versions and romanticized humorous versions, today’s version is just a truthful one from my heart and a story I have not shared on my blog.

Our story was not an easy or perfect one. After meeting randomly via an intern who introduced us, we became fast friends. We both loved London, but missed home. We often got lunch together, sipped hot chocolate at Starbucks and just chatted and got to know one another. I had moved to the UK with my long-term boyfriend who I loved a great deal, but aspects of our relationship just didn’t work. After a long holiday away from London and Daniel, I realized that I just didn’t feel ‘right’, I felt broken and couldn’t put my finger on the problem. Shortly after this mid-twenties reality check - Daniel left the UK to wait out his renewed visa back home in Cape Town. We said goodbye and it really added some perspective. After that I was filled with angst and tried to figure out why I felt so lost. I tried to feel better, to get over my confusion, but I just couldn’t. Something was missing, but it took me a really long time to figure out that my London life and relationship were not the right fit. I couldn’t give up a seven year relationship based on a year long friendship, I didn’t feel that was the solution. I decided that regardless of everything, I needed to go home to my family and find out what it was that I wanted from my life. To this day it is still the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. I bid London goodbye along with my boyfriend of seven years. I moved back in with my parents and took some time to figure it all out. I went through so many emotions both while deciding and once I got home. A while after that Daniel came to Durban to catch up with me. Our first kiss sealed the deal and we knew this was it! The wonderful thing is our relationship was built on a solid friendship and we got to have our fresh start and begin our happily ever after in the right way.

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?

I loved our wedding, the day was almost stress free and elegantly simple. The only thing I would go back and change is the guest list. I would make it even smaller and more intimate.

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be? 

It has been all sorts of different things, interesting, challenging, difficult, beautiful and blissful. The important lesson has been that we are in this journey together.

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?

I'm not sure if my lessons have been general life ones or due to being a wife. I do know that I have learnt to be really strong and cope with juggling a great deal of different things from wife to business owner and each has its own set of challenges. The main thing is I can handle it and it helps to have a supportive husband.

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?

Love, Patience, Respect

Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you’ve learnt the hard way?

I think you need to remember to always find time for each other. It need not be hours and hours each day, but rather take time to listen… properly without typing on your phone or thinking about later. Carve out quality time and plan for it. We get so busy with our work and life in general and it’s important to not treat your spouse as another to do list entry. Romance is also a must – again not all men are romantic, but keep on having date nights or weekends away. We have to sometimes escape and we might as well do it together. My final pearl of wisdom is do what is right for the two of you. I often hear people say that other people don’t have a ‘normal relationship’. That is annoying as we are all different and we need to allow that our relationship follows our rules not those of society. Daniel and I have things we enjoy together and things we do apart and it really works for us. I surely can’t expect the poor guy to be as excited about washi tape and crafting as I am, nor do I want to go to a paintball game :)

You can find Nadia at the following places:

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

In this series I am interviewing real woman and asking them questions about their lives after their wedding day. I am asking them real questions about their marriages, and of course having them give me and you some pearls of wisdom that they might like to share. If you would like to read more about this series, or if you would like to be featured here on the blog, click here or you can drop me an email here or leave me a comment below.

x