Big Bend: Big Country, Big Surprises ---- 1. General Introduction

Established on June 1944, at the end of the road in Far West Texas, Big Bend National Park has over 801,000 acres of the entire Chiscos mountain range and a large swath of the Chihuahuan Desert. It is one of the most remote national parks. The topography of Big Bend is so barren and jagged that America’s astronauts in the 1960s took field trips to the park to prepare them for landing on the moon. 

Care of Head 2015

I am not a picky eater, as so far you may know of.

But I am kind of picky on "stuff" touches me, not only skin care, make ups and perfumes, but also like personal grooming products, laundry and soap things, linens, towels (and silverware and cups. ^_^).

Per many many times been asked recently, here is my current list for this year to share.
I need to let you know that, even I do lots of homework and trying on all items, I am also a very minimum-request consumer: they never done any "Magic" result on me, they just not make things getting worse, or help to getting worse a bit slower. No change is super: aging in a grace way.

Cups for a Season - and a Reason 从春喝到夏

To be fair, we had a very mild spring, and not-that-bad summer this year. My new collections on cups and saucers work very well within seasons' change.

来看看柔美的新伙伴吧。还有拾遗补漏的小朋友们。

Winter Treats

My hubby's wondering: why there are times I am in and out the kitchen but "cook" things never show up on dinning table.

That's my bonus games. Earlier days, I might whip cream and check what it could look alike while over-beat. Or I might formula my own fragrance diffuser or soap or scrub w/nature essences from my yard and kitchen. 

Coconut oil is getting popular recently.  To play with a whole big jar other than cooking ---- I'd love to try my own all nature, all organic, heavenly- smelled moisturizer. 

 



 

Little Toys in my Kitchen 厨房的小玩具

Kitchen is my playroom. Love to hang around with all cuties. Ah, who says only kiddos enjoy toys?!

欲善其事，必利其器。 这些是诸多的玩具里比较顺手的。天天摸起放下的，总有了感情。当然不是任何广告代言，纯粹个人爱好，如有....纯属....

My Royal Albert Collection 2

Let's review the most well-known design from Royal Albert since 1962. The pattern reminds us for all those old days, family stories, and dust by a corner of the history...

 Old Country Rose 最经典最为广知的花纹了吧。小时候看了多少这个（或者，类似的这个？），直到真正收藏到才恍然大悟：原来----就是她？！西式茶壶我喜欢大尺寸的，一人份就用茶包，茶夹，与人共享，量要足！

Old Country Rose 的糖罐子。

 

 

奶罐子

 

 

果盘

 

 

Polka Blue Tea Tip 滤茶托盘

 

 

 

New Country Rose 我最喜欢的三层点心塔。一个系列三个不同的花式汇集一堂，in pink,  Rose Confetti, in white, 每当看见她，就会想到小时候过家家，在槊料杯杯碟碟中找寻着成人的世界的映像。原来，我收藏的这所有茶具，只是圆了当年小小的自己的，一个，小小的梦呵。



 

My Mascara Report 2012

OK, first review for the year of 2012!
Let's do Mascara. You need to change a new one within couple of months, and they are getting so popular in recent years, so many choices, beautiful cases, and, results!

Pick top 5 to share:

Hypmose Doll Lashes form Lancome. 是啦，讲到睫毛膏，总少不了兰蔻吧。其实这一款属无功无过的。比起她之前的几款热卖品，稍平淡了些。

 

 

they're REAL! form Benifit: 这是我听太多推荐后终于随手拿了只。竟一如当年用她们家的蒲公英粉一般：惊艳啊！清晰，分明，恰到好处的浓淡，持久又不难卸。刷头是小又短的胶头，却也不难用，更适用下睫毛。是值得推荐呢。

 

 

Lash Queen from HR (water Proof):飞经台湾和日本，千山万水特登的买了几只。 一直喜欢HR的壳壳，从豹纹到蕾丝，做到这一步都是立体花纹了，实在是让女生难以抗拒的妩媚。我用完了都留一只观赏用！不过效果就未必100分。上妆还好，稍有晕染，但卸妆太辛苦。我都担心睫毛会折寿！

 

 

 

Dior Show from Christian Dior: 这是我连续3年都保有使用的一只。其实刷头太胖了，用在下睫毛尤其费劲。但不黏不结，纤维结构好，持久又易卸。上一只是Dior Show系列的另一款，刷头就纤细些，下次要寻返。

 

 

Shocking from YSL: 一如其名，又浓又厚重，纤维量惊人！适合睫毛十分稀疏或短少的女生。对我而言重口味了。当大场合贴了十分夸张的睫毛后用她touch up一下，倒是十分适宜。持久，不是防水的，却也不是十分易卸。我接下来要试试YSL普通版的那只，或许清爽些。

 

 

化妆品，尤其是睫毛膏，当然各人有各眼，宜人未必宜己。纵然看了一堆的推荐，总是要领一只试上几日才能见分晓的。

 

那眼部卸妆液也一并带过：Lancome Bi Facil是我从来的心头好。Origin 和 Kiehl's也不错。 我的眼部对卸妆液和眼霜比较敏感，用不好容易长脂肪粒，所以特别要小心。 

 

 

My Royal Albert Collection 1

Weather's getting cooler. Time to warm up my tea sets for Darjeeling aroma!
Queen should be the first tea set I used at home decades ago. Love their old world feeling. My first collection on western tea sets begins with Royal Albert. Very girly, tender, and elegant. They do have good collections on tea set, rather than part of a dinning set.
And that could be one of the reasons I like to do one patten per cup ---- how nice it will be to have choices for all guests for their favorite design, or to pick the perfect set fits your mood, at a very moment.
Just one tip, all RA before 1990s are from Britain, after that, they moved most(/all) of the factories to Asia. So that only the antique collections now on the market are made in Britain. They marked on bottom. The new ones always only stamped name brand, but not the origin country.
Tea pots & more series are on the way for part 2.

爱茶的人当然在乎唇齿相依的杯子。来看看我宝贝的一些西式茶具吧。
第一集就从Royal Albert开始。价格也亲民，花式选择又多，还是经得耗用的骨瓷，胎薄，透亮清脆，色彩匀称，白得有奶油的润泽。我喜欢真正的茶具，不是那种5头餐具中的两件的感觉 ---- 你看的一边一个花色，对方看你一个花色，放着斟茶碟圈一个花色，端起杯子碟中一个花色，满满喝一口杯沿一个花色，喝到尽头杯底里再送你一个花色。（还有，洗杯子时倒过来美丽迷人的名字和牌子的花色 :-)

1900 Regency Blue 我喜欢这样鎏全24K的把手底座，和杯边内里的金纹。就让人感受得到精致和不同于常。这种Royal Blue配maroon floral也很易使人爱。

 

 

 

1910 Duchess 紫和黄的玫瑰花纹，压边的主色是黑压绘金。环绕着9 carat gold trim， 黑金本是奢华的搭配，但添着这式的小纹，又有了繁琐的市民的气息。这是爱我的外公出生的年代。那时的中国，是什么样子的啊。

 1920 Spring Meadow 小妇人的纤纤伴侣。混着primroses, roses, violets, harebells, and forget-me-nots清爽之风迎面而来。间散开的金边让她更有出生优渥的印记。我尤其喜欢她碟中间的紫调的harebells,垂了头，躲在杯底，羞涩的样子。

 1930 Polka Rose 从1904年Royal Albert 的玫瑰盛开，这是年轻化的成功范例 ---- 30年代的时尚呵。只有那杯沿的玫瑰，依旧是跨越时空的芬芳。

1940 English Chintz 绘满满的 roses, forget-me-nots, and violets，还有lilac的背景，这是传统的小女孩子。只是要我挑，会更接受Spring Meadow的小清新一些。

1950 Festival 我们家小老二一眼就爱上的蓝颜色。二战结束，百废待兴的蓬勃年代， 英国纪念二战胜利庆祝仪式的忠实设计。typically English flowers：blue harebells, daffodils and snowdrops。这样雅致的一杯，实在会让人对即将展开的时代和生活，充满期待与憧憬。

 

 

 

1960 Golden Roses 从1962年Old Country Rose 成为大热品，把她与时具进就一直在进行着。这是她的花式用全金和粉调子调出的一款。真是一位有美丽的帽子（甚至插根羽毛？）和一双高跟鞋，坐在午后静溢阳光下旖旎的妇人呐。

 

 

 

1970 Poppy   我最爱的一个设计（套一句时髦的话：“没有之一”）。花式简洁，颜色丰盈，有留白的美又有22K的华丽。传统的花花草草，配随性现代的格局。poppy不同于传统的玫瑰，是季节性和个性更强的花卉。这一套是一位纤纤美人，衣食无忧，自我修醒。

 

 

 

1980 Holyrood    典型的80年代流行款。富裕的蓬勃的时代。小时候家里西餐具都是这样或类似的正式的花式吧。这种款很难拍片片哩！

 

 

 

1990 Hartington Lane 要说到花卉，有谁比得过RA?! Lilac都生气蓬勃的。那是我的激情年代呢。大学，出国，留学，成家。她内边里的一片小绿叶，我特别喜欢。

 

 

 

Polka Blue 这也算是Old Country Rose 的孙女。用她喝茶，好像玫瑰的香，都混进茶的热气中了。

New Country Rose in White 最接近Old Country Rose 的现代版。我倒是常常随手拿她用：可能是没有太娇气的模样，能上能下经得起折磨又拿的上手的小家碧玉。