We're Moving!

Hello!

After quite a discussion, we decided to move our blog to WordPress! This move would provide us with more opportunities to grow as bloggers and are very excited to see what the future hold for two new bloggers!

We will be closing this blog soon, so head on over to our new blog for more posts and exciting adventures!

Click here for our new website!

See you on other side!

Cheers,
Thavi & Kavi

Too Much Information (TMI) Tag!

Hello everyone!

We decided to do the TMI Tag as it is still floating around the web and it's a chance for you guys to get to know us a little bit more! Here are all the tidbits of information you probably didn't want to know...but here we go anyway!

1: What are you wearing? 
K: Forever21 black tee and a workout pants (lazy Saturday wear).
T: Forever21 pattern tights and a black long sleeved top.

2: Ever been in love? 
K: Nope! Waiting on my knight in shining armor (...or the dork in tin foil!).
T: Nope! 

3: Ever had a terrible breakup? 
K: My breakups haven't been terrible, but they weren't sunshine and rainbows either.
T: Haven't gone through it yet

4: How tall are you? 
K: 5 feet and 6.5 inches! (the 0.5 really matters!)
T: 5'2 (yes I'm that short!) 

5: How much do you weigh? 
K: 140lbs.
T: 56 kg (we use metric units down under!)

6: Any tattoos? 
K: Nope!
T: Nope!

7: Any piercings? 
K: Yep, two on each ear!
T: One on each ear

8: OTP? 
K: Nope.
T: Nope!

9: Favourite show? 
K: Grey's Anatomy and I cry every time but I love it dearly! 
T: Friends! Still makes me laugh many reruns later!

10: Favorite bands? 
K: Urban Cone
T: Coldplay

11: Something you miss? . 
K: My family and friends in Sri Lanka :(
T: My family and friends back home and the food! 

12: Favourite song? 
K:  Higher (Vocals and Drums Only Taio Cruz & Kylie Minogue Cover Version) by Tribute Mega Stars
T: "Steps" - Handsome Ghost (Samuraii Remix) 

13: How old are you? 
K: 20!
T: 21

14: Zodiac sign? 
K: Pisces!
T: Pisces.

15: Quality you look for in a partner? 
K: I can't pick just one! If I had to choose though...probably intelligence.
T: I'd probably go with honesty, intelligence or humour.. (oops was I supposed to pick one? :P)

16: Favourite Quote? 
K: From Cristina Yang (Grey's Anatomy): "Oh, screw beautiful. I'm brilliant. If you want to appease me, compliment my brain."
T: Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength 

17: Favourite actor? 
K: Kerry Washington. No one can pull off Olivia Pope like Ms. Washington!
T: Don't think I have one but Ben Affleck? 

18: Favorite color? 
K: Red
T: Black

19: Loud music or soft? 
K: Both
T: Both.

20: Where do you go when you're sad? 
K: Literally? Just in my room. Figuratively? Somewhere in my brain that will force me to pull my life together and move on.
T: My room I guess 

21: How long does it take you to shower? 
K: 20 minutes if I'm washing my hair. 10 minutes if I'm not.
T: 15-20 minutes if I'm washing my hair. 10 minutes if not.

22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? 
K: Around 45 minutes if I shower.
T: Around 30 minutes.

23: Ever been in a physical fight? 
K: With my brother, yes.
T: I have a younger brother.. so, yes! 

24: Turn on? 
K: Intellectual humans.
T: Intelligent, positive people

25: Turn off? 
K: People who have no sense of humor.
T: Same as Kavi! People with no sense of humour. 

26: The reason we made a blog? 
K & T: To share our love for all things food, fashion, beauty, health and everything in between.

27: Fears? 
K: An uncertain future. 
T: Snakes or anything that crawls (shudders) 

28: Last thing that made you cry? 
K: Last night as I was watching the newest episode of Grey's Anatomy.
T: Been a while so I can't recall

29: Last time you said you loved someone? 
K: To my mom a couple of hours ago!
T: To my mom a few minutes ago. 

30: Meaning behind your Blog Name? 
K & T: We're on opposite sides of the world right now, hence the "east west" and "musings" because it's a blog on our thoughts about the topics we mentioned above!

31: Last book you read? 
K: "Faefever" by Karen Marie Moning
T: "Nothing left to lose" by Kirsty Moseley 

32: The book you're currently reading? 
K: Re-reading "Me before You" by JoJo Moyes 
T: Re-reading "Fighting Temptation" by KC Lynn

33: Last show you watched? 
K: Scandal!
T: House

34: Last person you talked to? 
K: My housemate a couple of minutes ago.
T: My friend

35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted? 
K: BEST FRIENDS!
T: One of my best friends!

36: Favourite food? 
K: Sri Lankan spicy chicken kottu! 
T: Sri Lankan spicy roast chicken kottu with cheese! (miss it so much)

37: Place you want to visit? 
K: Cuba!
T: Santorini! 

38: Last place you were? 
K: Does the kitchen count?
T: University

39: Do you have a crush? 
K: Heh....yes!
T: You could say that, yes! 

40: Last time you kissed someone? 
K: Good god...a while ago.
T: I don't kiss and tell! 

41: Last time you were insulted? 
K: My lovely mother dearest about the cleanliness of my room a few hours ago!
T: Kavi on my sleeping patterns! haha

42: Favourite flavour of sweet? 
K: LIME! Bring on the sour!
T: Dark chocolate

43: What instruments do you play?
K: Used to play the piano and guitar...if that counts.
T: Used to play the piano and play the guitar now when I get the chance!

44: Favorite piece of jewelry? 
K: My H&M midi ring set
T: The necklace I'm wearing in the picture above from Lovisa

45: Last sport you played? 
K: Soccer!
T: Badminton

46: Last song you sang? 
K: Katy Perry's "Dark Horse"
T: "It wasn't me" by Shaggy

47: Favourite chat up line? 
K: "On a scale of one to human centipede, how close am I to that a**?" 
T: "I think I need a library card because I'm gonna check you out" ;)

48: Have you ever used it? 
K: Nope! I just like it 'cause it's funny!
T: Nope! Too cheesy but funny! 

49: Last time you hung out with anyone? 
K: Last night with my housemates!
T: Couple of days ago with friends

50: Who should answer these questions next? 
K & T: Anyone, really. It's entertaining! 




Cheers,
Thavi & Kavi

Love and Beauty (Forever 21) Matte Eyeshadow Palette Tutorial!

Hello!

So, a couple of days ago my housemates and I went out for dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday (along with her family) and I wore a beautiful Forever21 purple and black dress paired with this eyeshadow look. I love this look so much because it's not flashy but complements well with a dress of any of the colors used for this look!

So, first, I just want to mention that I used one eyeshadow palette for this! It is the Love and Beauty Matte Eyeshadow Palette by Forever 21! Let's digest this for a minute first shall we? I was quite reluctant to purchase this because I didn't see that many reviews online nor did I know how well the color pay off would be. It was only $8.90 so I decided, why the heck not and went ahead with it. This was the first look I did with this palette, and let me say, guys, it was not disappointing! The colors are very pigmented, especially the darker colors. I am yet to use all the colors, but I will keep you guys posted. You can use any matte eyeshadows that are comparable to the one's I will be showing you to get this look as well! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it!

1) As usual, prime your eyelids. I used the ELF shadowlock primer

2) I used a light tan color all over my lid just to lock in the primer and even out the skin tone on my eyelids (1*)

3) I used a leather brown color share as my transitional color all over the crease of my lid with an ELF eyeshadow brush (2*)

4) I added this red-violet color all over the lid except the inner corner with another ELF eyeshadow brush (3*).

5) I used the dark brown in the palette on the outer corner to smoke it out and then added a touch of the black to emphasize it even more with an Eco tools full eyeshadow brush. I also added a touch of an off-white color to the inner corner (4, 5 & 6*).

6) I used my N.Y. Colors black liquid eyeliner and drew a thin line across my upper lashes

7) I added a coat of Wet n Wild volumanizing mascara to finish off this look!

*Colors used:

That is it, guys! I hope you enjoyed this and I'll see you very soon!

Cheers,
Kavi

Oatmeal with Strawberries and Sultanas

Hey everyone!

Sorry I haven't posted lately! I am so busy with exams these days so I don't have much time on my hands unfortunately. It is currently 3.00 am in Melbourne (college student life) and I am taking a break from studying and thought I should do something I love just to relax a little. So I'm gonna let you guys know how to make one of my go to breakfast bowls.

This literally takes me 10 minutes to make which is perfect for anyone in a rush like myself. It is a quick and easy healthy breakfast! You can use any fruit you like with this recipe. I usually add chia seeds (superfood) but I had run out the day I made this, so definitely add some if you have any. So on to the recipe.

Ingredients for one serving:

1/2 cup of rolled or instant oats
1 cup of almond milk (you can use any milk)
2 tbsp of light agave nectar (use sweetener of choice)
1 tsp of vanilla
3/4 cup of strawberries (1/4 cup chopped and 1/2 cup sliced)
1/2 cup of sultanas
Chia seeds

1) Add the oats, milk, agave nectar, vanilla in a small pan over low to medium heat. Simmer this until the oats absorb some of the milk and begins to thicken

2) Add your chopped strawberries and 1/4 cup of the sultan. Cook until the fruits soften slightly but it should hold it's shape.

3) Once it reaches a creamy, thick consistency, take off the heat and transfer into a bowl

4) Sprinkle the chia seeds and top it off with the rest of the fresh strawberries and sultanas.

That's it! Yes, it is as simple as that. It is so delicious and filling. Hope you enjoyed this post and I'll see you soon!

Cheers,

Thavi

Whole Wheat Spaghetti & Beef!

Hello again!

Since we missed posting something last week, I have another scrumptious recipe post for you guys (dances in the room 'cause it's a bonus post!)

Anyway, on to the post! I have one goal in the kitchen: to have a max time of 30 minutes to cook and clean and get out. So, this dish stays true to that and also delivers with both equal parts filling and delicious! I will be using whole wheat spaghetti 'cause it's the healthier option but you can use any kind of spaghetti you want! Anyway, let's get on with how to make it!

Ingredients for four servings:

2/3 pound of whole wheat spaghetti
2/3 pound of beef
3/4 bottle of pasta sauce (I used a combination of Italian pasta sauce, and onion, tomato and garlic sauce pasta sauce for added flavor)
1/2 a large white onion
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp chili flakes
Salt to taste
Basil for garnish (optional)

**As you can see, I didn't add many veggies, but feel free to add chopped tomatoes, mushrooms and anything you like.

Let's get on with how to make it:

1) Bring four cups of water to a boil and add salt and the spaghetti in (clearly I needed a bigger pan, but I made it work!).

Should have thought about a bigger pan...

If you persevere, you'll make it work..somehow!

2) Turn another pan to a medium heat and add in the beef. I did not add any oil because the fat in the beef helps to cook the meat.

3) Add the chopped onions into the beef. The oil in the meat helps soften it up.

4) Once the onions are translucent and the beef is cooked through, add in the pasta sauce. Turn the heat to a simmer and let the sauce warm up.

Yum!

5) Cook the spaghetti until it has reached the texture you want (I like mine al dente), drain and add it to the sauce.

Deliciousness in the making!

6) Mix well, plate up, garnish and serve!

Mix well!

Up close and personal in spaghetti space...*drool*

Yes, I'll have a bite of that, thank you very much!

Yes, it took me less than 30 minutes to cook and clean! It's super easy and feeds a hungry crowd! I hope you guys enjoyed this post and I'll see you very soon!

Cheers,
Kavi

Creamy Chicken Egg Noodle Dish

Hello!

I know we didn't post anything last week, but to be honest, we were ridiculously busy! We had assignments, projects, mid term exams and every horrible thing thrown at us one after the other. But, I have something super exciting to share with you guys...my creamy chicken egg noodle dish! It is not a a textbook recipe but its deliciously creamy and pure heaven. This recipe came about as I was just experimenting with some ingredients I had and the result was decadent, so I tried it a few times and perfected a bowl! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it!

What you'll need for one serving:

1 egg noodle square*
1 boneless skinless chicken chopped into bite size pieces
3/4 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp pepper
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon of butter
Pinch of basil for garnish (optional)

*I got this at an oriental market (amongst so many other delicious things) and I was told it was egg noodles but you can substitute this for anything you want. This is what mine looked like:

Here are the steps I used:

1) Bring two cups of water to a boil and add in the noodles with the salt. These noodles take a really short amount of time to cook, so keep an eye on it. Mine took me about 5 minutes.

Noodles cooking away!

2) Heat a pan at a medium-high heat with some butter and add in the chopped chicken.

I have two chicken thigh's here as I was cooking for two

3) As the chicken develops a pale color, add in the chili flakes and powder, pepper and salt if you want.

Pure goodness!

4) Strain the noodles with about 5 tablespoons of water remaining and add it to the chicken. Mix well and turn the heat down to a simmer until all the water has evaporated. The starch in the water helped to form the creaminess in the dish!

You can see the creamy texture forming!

5) Plate it, garnish with some dried basil and devour your creation!

That is it, guys! It is super easy and a great dish to whip up when you're busy. I hope you guys enjoyed this and I'll see you again very soon!

Cheers,
Kavi

Everyday Makeup Routine: bronze eyes for school/work

Hello everyone!

So, about two weeks ago I posted a dusky pink and purple eyeshadow tutorial. In my humble opinion, it was a gorgeous vibrant pop of color look. Today, however, I am going to take it down a notch and show you guys my everyday makeup routine for the eyes. It's a beautiful bronze look that pairs well with many skin tones. Anyway, let's get started!

1) I didn't tape my eyes this time because I wanted to go for a smudged out look. So, firsty primed my lids with the ELF shadow lock primer.

Step 1

2) Next, I used the L.A. Girl blush in Toast all over my lids with a blending brush from ELF. (I didn't buy this blush intending to use it on my cheeks. It simply looked like a great transitional/all over the lid eyeshadow! Talk about versatility, eh?)

Step 2

3) I used the gold crease color in the Beautiful Browns eyeshadow quad from ELF toward the inner corner of the eye and the line color from the same palette toward the outer corner. I sprayed my brushes with the ELF makeup mist & set spray to get the colors to pop a little.

Step 3 (sorry for the change in light!)

4) Next, I used the ELF smudge pot in Brownie Points with a fluffy ELF brush and defined the outer 1/3 of my eye to give some depth and dimension. Since this is a smudge pot as opposed to a powder color, blending is key, guys!

Step 4 - A closer look at all the shadows

5) I used the NYC liquid liner in black and drew a thin line along my top lashes and finished this look off with my Wet n Wild volume mascara on my top and bottom lashes.

That is the finished look, guys! I think it's a very simple look you can pair with any lipstick/outfit/accessories! I hope you guys enjoyed this post! See you soon!

Cheers,

Kavi

Homemade Sausage and Veggie Pizza!

Hello everyone!

As a college student living on her own, I have to cook for myself. My initial thought about this: why me! Now: hey, it's not so bad after all! And it really isn't. This is not to say that every recipe is easy as pie, but there are a ridiculous amount of recipes that are pretty do-able. Let's face it, guys, if I can do it, you can do it ten times better! Anyway, that's my little introductory spiel, and on to the actual recipe itself!

Who doesn't like pizza? Certainly not me, but Pizza hut and Dominos can burn a hole in your pocket and not to mention it's not always on the healthy side of the scale! My recipe is not a textbook definition of a healthy meal, but it definitely lists better than something you can order and trust me when I say it tastes amazing!

The indigents you need are pretty simple and you have probably have most, if not all of this already in your kitchen! Here's what I used for 1 serving:

Ingredients

1. 1 Pita bread
2. 1/3 cup of finely grated mild cheddar cheese 
3. 1/3 pound of ground Italian sausage
4. 1/3 cup of chunky tomato, garlic and onion pasta sauce
5. 1/2 a large white onion
6. 1/3 green bell pepper
7. 1.5 tsp butter or oil
8. 1/3 tsp ginger and garlic paste (optional)
9. 1tsp chili flakes (optional)
10. 1tsp chili powder (optional)
11. Salt to taste

**you can substitute many of these ingredients such as the meat, cheese, pasta sauce, and veggies. 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 205 degrees Celsius
2. I started off by cooking the meat on a medium-high heat. I didn't add any oil because the fat in the meat sufficed. Once it developed a beautiful brown color, I added the ginger garlic paste, chili flakes and powder to give it some heat (Sri Lankan roots showing here!)

   

   Sausage cooked to perfection!

3. In a hot skillet, I added the onions and bell pepper with 1.5tsp of butter to soften up the veggies. I added a pinch of salt here 

   

   Cooking the veggies!

4. Next, I placed one pita bread on a pizza pan and slathered a generous amount of pasta sauce. I love the sweet and thick texture of chunky pasta sauce but feel free to change it up!

   

   All that pasta sauce..yum

   
   
5. Then, I added some beautiful golden cheese 

   

   Add the cheese!

6. After, I piled up on the sausage and added the veggies before sprinkling a little bit of cheese. (Personally, you can never have too much cheese!)

   

   Pile on that meat!

Veggies next!

Top it off with the cheese!

    7.     Finally, I let the pizza sit in the oven for 12 minutes before serving it up!

One word: DELISH!

My attempt at a decent plating!

This took me under 30 minutes to make and it's a great recipe to have in you repertoire! The pita bread developed a beautiful crunch and the cheese was melted to perfection! I hope you guys enjoy this recipe!

Cheers,
Kavi

My Outlook on Food

Hey guys! 

Just a few tips and tricks I believe in and live by to lead a healthy lifestyle!

• Try to cook your own food from scratch! Some people believe cooking is difficult but in all honesty if you try and follow a recipe it is actually quite easy. Once you get the hang of it, it gets even easier and fun. This option is much better than going for pre-cooked, processed food from your local supermarket. Buying good organic foods when possible and cooking from scratch increases your intake of quality nutrition. Obviously it takes more time compared to buying pre-packed food but treat your body well! Give it the proper care it needs. 
• I'm not a professional by no means but dieting and skipping meals is a big no. I have not tried a specific diet before but I have tried to 'diet' by cutting out unhealthy food completely and eating too little. It is not a long term solution. Let's be realistic, you cannot carry on like that. So I have come to realize that really does not work. I think what works is changing your lifestyle. You need to change the quality of your diet, stick to moderate portion sizes, cook your own food, and exercise. Of course people are different and have different preferences but following simple steps like these would definitely benefit anyone. However only you can decide what is best for you and what kind of lifestyle changes would make you healthier and happy in the long run. 
• Include lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grain food in your diet. These will keep you full for much longer because the body takes longer to digest these foods as they are complex carbohydrates and are high in nutrients such as fiber. However if you eat white carbohydrates and high sugar food, these will be digested very fast leaving you hungry faster. One way to get your daily dose of greens is by eating a salad. Salads are very easy to make and you can add just about anything you like. I love my Grilled Chicken and Quinoa Salad with Lemon dressing. Stay tuned for the recipe! 
• I have learned from my course at university that you should be aware of what you buy from supermarkets. Next time you do your grocery and pick up a product, take one minute to read the list of ingredients. If the list contains many ingredients you have never heard of, I suggest you don't buy it. 
• Try and avoid highly processed, high fat (Trans fat), high sugar products. Purchase of food products with high MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), artificial sweeteners and other additives should be reduced as well. Eat more natural, organic food. 
• Exercise regularly! Even 30 minutes of walking a day is good enough if you are just starting out. I have always been interested in sports and exercising so its a norm for me to head to the gym for 3-4 times a week. Exercising gets your blood pumping and improve your metabolism. So, try to include some form of exercise into your daily activities, whether that's running, heading to the gym, a zumba class or yoga. 
• Sleep well and drink lots of water! 

There you go, this is what I believe and learnt through my course and research. I am not a professional but these are some general steps you can take for a healthier you. Try changing little things at first. Changing your lifestyle is not gonna be easy, so take gradual steps. The more you are physically and mentally healthy, the happier you are!

Hope you enjoyed reading this! 

Cheers,

Thavi

Dusky Pink & Purple Eyeshadow Tutorial

Hello hello!

I was craving a colorful eyeshadow look for a night a few days ago, and decided on a pink/purple shimmer eyes to match a baby pink dress I was going to wear that night! By no means am I a professional/qualified makeup artist, but I've learned a few tricks by watching a ridiculous amount of makeup tutorials and decided to have a go at it! I used all drugstore makeup (including brushes!) so I hope you guys enjoy!

1) I started off with taping the sides of my eyes at an angle toward my temples. This gave a guide for the shadows (and the eyeliner at the end). I don't usually use tape because the skin around the eyes is sensitive, so try to use the edge of an old credit card. But, take your time here, guys 'cause this is the base for your eyeshadow. I made sure to stick the tape on to my hand a couple of times to take away the tackiness first so it barely even stuck to my skin. I used a primer as well to stop creasing. The Elf Shadow Lock Eyeshadow Primer is the absolute bomb! It retails for US$2 (I believe), and it keeps your eyeshadow looking fresh and on point!

Step 1

2) Next, I used the the dark dusky pink/purple from the L.A. Colors Trendy Palette all over the eyelid with an ELF Professional Eyeshadow Brush.

Step 2

3) I blended the dusky pink/purple with the lid color from ELF Beautiful Brown's eyeshadow palette. This was the transitional color used. I used an ELF Professional Blending Brush for this.

Step 3

4) I sprayed an angled ELF Defining Eye Brush with the ELF setting mist and mixed the line color in the ELF Tantalizing Taupe shadow palette with the shimmery purple in L.A. Colors Haute Palette on the outer corner of the eye.

Step 4

5) I used another Elf Blending brush and blended the dusky color with the purple. I realized that the purple did not give the definition and depth I wanted, so I decided to add a touch of matte black shadow and blended again! Black is a hard color to blend, so keep going at it, guys! As with any eyeshadow look, blending is the key! I also added a touch of a shimmery peach/pink color from the L.A. Colors Haute Palette to give the dusky pink a pop.

Step 5

6) Now comes the fun part..eyeliner! I used the NYC liquid eyeliner in black. The tape works as a great guide to get a precise winged look. Follow the line of the tape and create another connecting 1/3  toward the inner corner of the eye and color it in. Then follow the eyeliner along the lash line to finish the look. (As you can see the tape helps eliminate any mishaps!)

Step 6

7) Now to reveal your masterpiece...take the tape off and remove any fall out around the eye. Then run your eyeshadow brush along the bottom lash line with the dusky pink and add a coat of mascara! I used the Wet N Wild Mega Volume mascara! 

So that's the final look, guys! Finish this off with your favorite foundation and I added a touch of matte pink lipstick to complete the look!

I hope you guys enjoyed this!

Cheers,
Kavi