Travel Destination: Croatia

Happy Weekend!

I haven't made a Travel Destination post in a while, so here we are! ;)

I spent about 30 minutes thinking of the perfect place to escape to (virtually, of course!), and I remembered reading all about Beyonce and Jay-Z vacationing in Croatia days after Prince Harry partied there... so, I did a little research about beautiful Croatia.

And where else would I go for travel details, but www.lonelyplanet.com?

Despite the hype, Croatia’s pleasures are more timeless than trendy. Along its 1778km coastline, a glistening sea winds around rocky coves, lapping at pine-fringed beaches. Istrian ports bustle with fishermen while children dive into the sparkling water. In Dalmatia, cities throb with nightlife amid ancient Roman ruins.

Yachts glide up the coast, movie stars discreetly arrange to buy one of Croatia’s 1185 islands and no Mediterranean cruise is complete without a stop in Dubrovnik. The interior landscape is as beguiling, even though less visited. Soak in a thermal spa at Istarske Toplice in Istria. Hike through pristine forests watered by mountain streams in the west. Let the waterfalls of Plitvice moisten your face. And then there's the culture. The country that endured Roman, Venetian, Italian and Austro-Hungarian rule has a unique and slightly schizoid identity. You’ll find a strong central European flavour in the baroque architecture of Zagreb, and Italian devotion to the good life percolates up from the coast, permeating Croatian food and style. During holidays and festivals the country’s Slavic soul emerges, as colourfully costumed dancers whirl about to traditional folk melodies.

Croatians retain a strong attachment to the land and traditions that nourished the dream of independence for so long. Even as a tide of speculators and developers wash ashore, there is a real commitment to preserving the extraordinary beauty of the coast.

Let's go? :)

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Zlatni Rat Beach

Hvar town and harbor & sailing cruiseship - Royal Clipper

Lovrijenac Fortresson

St. Dominus Cathedral

Cathedral of Saint Jacob

Roman amphitheatre

lavender fields, Hvar Island

hilltop town

island town

Skradinski Buk waterfalls

dried prunes and almonds

outdoor cafe in Decumanus in Diocletian's Palace

cafe in the streets of old Dubrovnik

***images from www.lonelyplanet.com***

*Sigh* It's such a beautiful place, and I would love to visit Croatia one day! :)

I know some of our fellow bloggers are from Croatia -- I hope I was able to present your beautiful country well. What other places should we visit when we go there?

Have you been to Croatia?

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P.S. My $25 Apothica gift card giveaway is open until September 25th! I hope you can join!

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Wishlist: Cotton On

Hey, guys! :)

I mentioned a few months ago that my friends and I checked out the newest store at the mall: Cotton On.

Cotton On originated from Australia, and they now have 800 stores in seven countries -- really impressive!

The Cotton On Group is a retail powerhouse renowned for its winning combination of globally relevant fashion at affordable prices. It all began back in 1991 with one store in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. From modest beginnings, Cotton On has quickly evolved into a bona fide fashion destination.

***from www.shop.cottonon.com***

While at the store, I was able to snap some photos using my phone:

And, of course I visited their website and I found some pieces to compile my Cotton On Wishlist! ;)

Margie Playsuit -

sleeveless scoop neck playsuit with button front detail

Nancy Burnout Tee -

Bench Oversize Tee -

Daisy Crochet Lace -

crop lace tee with scalloped lace hem

Elin T-Shirt Dress ONLINE EXCLUSIVE NEW! -

Rock your look with style and comfort in a Cotton jersey blend t-shirt dress. Add a statement belt for the perfect hourglass silhouette. Featuring shoulder pads and a small chest pocket.

Orca Maxi Dress -

shirred bust maxi dress with frill detail

Leina Belted Shorts ONLINE EXCLUSIVE -

Up your style cred with these playful stretch cotton sateen shorts to add instant punch to your wardrobe. Featuring front pockets, neat pleats and a contrast belt for colour blocking perfection. In these exclusive shorts you're sure to make a statement.

Inga High Waist Jeans -

high waist button detail skinny leg jean

I love how they have a lot of basic pieces that are versatile. You can definitely wear many of these in different ways. If you want something that will make a statement, they also have those. I feel like we can all find something we'll like from Cotton On.

About the price... in store, they are really affordable.

I saw dresses being sold for $7.99, the Toms-like shoes I took photos of were around $15, and the shirts I saw were around $7.

I also gotta mention that I was looking at one section of the store only, so I'm pretty sure that not everything is in that price range. If anything, it's most likely in between Forever 21 and H&M's prices.

Online, prices range from AUD $10 to AUD $49.95 -- that's Australian dollars though, so we have to add about USD $3... if I'm doing the conversion correctly.

Anyways, they have shipping and delivery information on their website, if you wanna check that out. And they ship free worldwide until September 30th! Check out their site for more information. :)

Have you shopped at Cotton On? Thoughts? Opinions?

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P.S. My $25 Apothica gift card giveaway is open until the 25th of September! Please enter here.

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

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I've been extremely busy (and I will probably be busy for the next couple of weeks), but I do have some posts ready for you guys. :)

I will be around visiting your blogs as soon as I can. I hope you are all doing well. :D

New Fall TV Shows! :)

Happy Monday!

It's almost fall, and a new season means new TV shows!

I was reading Entertainment Weekly, and I read all about new and returning TV shows = so excited! :)

I am excited for the return of Glee (September 20th), Gossip Girl (September 26th), Grey's Anatomy (September 22nd), and The Mentalist (September 22nd)... but, I am also excited to watch new shows premiering this fall:

Hart of Dixie (CW) - September 26th

Call it Southern Exposure. Rachel Bilson reunites with The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz for this medical drama, playing big-city doc Zoe Hart, who heads to tiny Bluebell, Alabama when she inherits a practice. Expect culture clashes galore and Zoe to stay put after coming through in a medical emergency and discovering an old secret. Having Scott Porter play your potential beau doesn't hurt either.

I think it has a very promising story and it'd be cool to see how life is in the South. I am not Rachel Bilson's biggest fan, but I am liking her more and more. I'm not too sure how convincing she will be as a doctor, but I am still looking forward to this show -- and I just know her clothes will be beautiful! ;)

Ringer (CW) - September 13th

Sarah Michelle Gellar's back! And this time, there's two of her! Gellar plays twins Bridget and Siobhan — both decidedly un-Buffy-like — in this mystery thriller that was originally developed for CBS. Bridget, a recovering alcoholic, is on the run from some baddies and decides to hide out by taking the identity of her wealthy twin sis, who is thought to be dead. Turns out taking on Siobhan's persona puts Bridget in a very different kind of danger. Lost alum Nestor Carbonell co-stars, but don't expect any sci-fi stuff, à la Lost and Buffy, on Ringer. "No hatch! No island!" Gellar says.

Yay, she's back! I don't remember too much about Buffy, but I do remember that everyone was crazy about that show. I'm really hoping Ringer becomes a success!

The Secret Circle (CW) - September 15th

Something wicked this way comes from Kevin Williamson once again. The man who gave us Vampire Diaries has now adapted L.J. Smith's other supernatural book series. Britt Robertson is Cassie Blake, a California teen who moves to Chance Harbor, Washington where she discovers she's a witch and joins a secret coven that includes Thomas Dekker, Phoebe Tonkin and Shelley Hennig. But don't think you will know what's coming if you've read the novels. Why? (Spoiler alert!) The show kills off someone who survived the whole book series in the opening minutes of the pilot.

I don't watch The Vampire Diaries, I haven't read the books in The Secret Circle series, and I actually didn't know about this show until recently, but despite that, I am definitely gonna watch this show's pilot episode... hopefully, I like it enough to tune in every week.

Revenge (ABC) - September 21st

The drama stars Emily VanCamp as Emily Thorne, a mysterious woman who heads to the Hamptons under the guise of wooing Daniel (Joshua Bowman), the son of Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe). But she's actually there to exact revenge on the people (ahem, Victoria) who destroyed her family. It's a contemporary re-telling of The Count of Monte Cristo, but Emily Thorne makes for a much prettier little liar than Edmond Dantes.

This looks very interesting! It sounds like there's gonna be quite a few twists and shockers in the story. And Hamptons = beautiful houses and beautiful clothes... can't wait!

Once Upon a Time (ABC) - October 23rd

Do you think fairy tales are real? They are in Storybrooke, Maine, a town frozen in time with fairy-tale figures who have no recollection of their real identities. Leave it to 10-year-old Henry (Jared Gilmore) to try to set things right when he tracks down his birth mom, Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), a bail bonds collector who is the daughter of Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming (Joshua Dallas). The fantastical drama, which will tell dual stories set in present-day Storybrooke and in fairy-tale land, comes from Lost writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for lots of references to time travel and polar bears.

I love fairy tales (who doesn't?) and I love Ginnifer Goodwin!

A Gifted Man (CBS) - September 23rd

He sees dead people! Actually, just one dead person. Michael Holt (Patrick Wilson) is a hot-shot, arrogant surgeon whose life gets thrown for a loop when his recently deceased ex-wife, Anna (Jennifer Ehle), starts appearing to him to teach him about life from the hereafter. (Think House meets Eli Stone meets Ghost Whisperer.) The show was created by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich), features a supporting cast that includes Julie Benz and Justified's Margo Martindale, and had Jonathan Demme at the helm of its pilot.

This one is kinda sad! I just have a feeling I will be rooting for these two to end up back together... but she's dead! :/

I definitely want to see how the story will turn out, though.

***details from www.tvguide.com***

Which new and/or returning shows are you looking forward to?

Have a great week ahead! :D

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P.S. Win a $25 Apothica gift card! Please click here.

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Food Network Friday: Bobby Flay

Happy Friday!

Last week, I was trying to think of new topics for future blog posts because I like to keep it fun and exciting over here at What Mimi Writes -- I think it's good to change things up a bit, and I really try to spread out my posts into many different topics (and I hope I'm succeeding at it!). :D

So, my sister suggested I pick one Food Network chef and pick a couple of his/her recipes to share with you guys. Brilliant, right? I love Food Network and I love food = perfect!

I decided to start with Bobby Flay because I mentioned in one of my recent posts that I would love to eat at Mesa Grill. ;)

Bobby Flay discovered his culinary identity at the age of 17, working as a cook at the famed theatre district haunt Joe Allen's. The job had been arranged by his father, who was a partner in the restaurant. After a short time, Joe Allen himself became so impressed by Bobby's talents that he paid the young cook's tuition to the French Culinary Institute.

He is the owner and executive chef of 12 restaurants: Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, New York City, and in the Bahamas (Atlantis Paradise Island, Nassau); Bar Americain in New York City and Uncasville, Connecticut; Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Bobby's Burger Palace in Lake Grove, New York, Paramus, New Jersey, Eatontown, New Jersey, Uncasville, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C.

Um, wow!

Have you eaten at any of Bobby Flay's restaurants?

To add to his impressive collection of restaurants, he has also starred in countless Food Network shows -- and not to mention, he is an Iron Chef on Iron Chef America!

He won almost all Iron Chef episodes I've seen with him as a competitor -- except for the one where he was paired with Giada de Laurentiis (against Mario Batali and Rachael Ray).

Okay, here are three recipes we can try this weekend:

Ginger-Soy-Lime Marinated Shrimp

Total Time: 35 minutes

Level: Easy

Grilled Chicken Paillard with Lemon and Black Pepper and Arugula-Tomato Salad

Total Time: 45 minutes

Level: Easy

Fried Chicken with Ancho Honey

Total Time: 5 hours 40 minutes

Level: Intermediate

***from www.foodnetwork.com***

Oh my gosh, how delicious does that fried chicken look -- especially with honey?!

I think the shrimp is perfect for an outdoor barbecue get-together.

We can easily whip up the grilled chicken paillard for lunch.

:D

What do you guys think?

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

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P.S. If you have time, I hope you can come and join my $25 Apothica gift card giveaway! :)

It is open internationally and it will end on the 25th of September.

Thanks to all who joined (and will join) and good luck!

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Farmers Market! :)

Happy Thursday!

Once our local Farmers Market starts, everyone gets excited because it can only mean one thing: summer is almost here. Go to the Farmers Market, and you will surely see at least one person you know. It's funny because it's like everyone's there, haha!

Now that summer is almost over, everyone takes advantage of the Farmers Market.

The last time I went, I was able to take some photos with my phone. :)

What do you love to buy at the Farmers Market?

I love to buy fruits!

And eat! There are tons of choices when it comes to food!

I also looove to buy baked goodies. :)

Yum!!!

Other stuff I love to get at the Farmers Market:

Italian Ice

Kettle Corn

Lemonade

Fresh Flowers

***last four images from Google***

What do you like to buy when you visit the Farmers Market?

P.S. Enter my giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Apothica gift card!

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)