Autumn Candle Holders

I saw a picture of something similar to this on Pinterest so I had to give it a go.  The picture showed the candlelight flickering through the leaves and the Autumn colours make the room feel so warm and cozy.




Step 1 - Assemble the items

 - Autumn Leaves
I looked like a crazy foreigner in the park across from my house collecting leaves... I had the dog with me and had attached him around my waist so I could have my hands free... but the Korean's definitely thought I was a lunatic!  Make sure you get a range of sizes and colours.  Turns out the smallest ones were the ones I needed most and I ran out of them way too quickly!

 - Wide Glass Jars / Glass Vases
I went to the Korean equivalent of a dollar store and chose a few different shaped glass jars and vases.  The have to be wide so you can easily get the candle in and out but the overall size is entirely up to you.

 - Glue / Mod-podge
For my Commonwealth buddies the easiest and cheapest thing to use is PVA glue which is a little watered down - about 3 parts glue to 1 part water.

For my American buddies this is basically a home recipe for Mod-Podge (which doesn't exist in Aussie-land).

If you are confused by both then basically what you are looking for is a white glue that dries clear - and a little watered down!

 - Varnish
I had a big pot of furniture varnish lying around from when I built the coffee table... (I must remember to blog that too...)  But I am pretty sure you can pick up small pots of varnish at any hardware store.  I like a gloss varnish because it gives it a nice shine - and protects the surface in a way the glue doesn't.

 - Ribbon (Optional)

 For the glass jars I used a stiff wide ribbon to tie around the top and hide the ridges where the lid would join.  I think the Jars work best for gifts because you can put the candle inside, put the lid on, and then tie the ribbon!

Step 2 - Putting it all together

First the leaves need to be pressed and dried - put them between sheets of absorbent paper in a heavy book - I just used two sheets of printer paper and a handee towel because it was all I had in the house!  Leave for a couple of days - just to be on the safe side.


Make sure the glass is nice and clean and then paint a layer of the glue directly onto the glass. Place the leaves onto the glue - if you want to overlap the leaves then glue the underside of the leaves as well.  Once they are all in position  leave to dry for a while (until the glue starts to clear) and then paint a layer of glue over the top of all the leaves.  Leave to dry overnight.


Once everything is really dry paint a layer of Varnish over the top and then leave overnight again. Once the Varnish is dry you can tie the ribbon around the top (or not if it's a vase)... and then it's finished!

Two Years in Korea: A reflection

 So...today is the anniversary of my arrival in Korea... 2 years ago!  I can't really believe that I have been here for two years now.  Time is a little bit crazy in Korea, some things seem to go really fast, and others really slow. I don't feel like it has already been two years - and yet I feel like I have been living here forever!

So much has changed in two years... I went back to read the blog I posted the day I arrived and found myself laughing a lot and thinking about all the things I didn't know then that I know now!  I have also changed a lot since then - for starters I am now married to the love of my life...who I probably never would have found if I hadn't come here!

I thought I would take this time to list a few of the top things I have learned, observed, noticed or discovered since I have been in Korea;

• Being a millionaire every month is awesome.
• Paying rent in the equivalent of $10 bills makes you feel rich.
• Spam is a major food group.
• Spam can be given as a gift on family holidays provided it's in a gift box
• older Korean women can be lovely or frightening & there is no way to tell until you interact with them.
• If you eat enough garlic you can't tell how bad everyone around you smells from eating too much garlic.
• English movies where they speak other languages suck - they only translate those sections into Korean.  (I may never know what the apes said in the new Planet of the Apes movie).

• You don't need to speak another language to make someone understand you.
• The Google translate app is legendary; as long as you only write really short sentences.

•  If you are going to drive, drive like a race-car driver, otherwise get off the road.
• Mini-skirts and hot-pants can be worn all year round - if it's cold just wear stockings underneath!
• Samsung makes everything.  If Samsung doesn't LG does.  If neither make it...it must be rubbish.

• Dokdo belongs to Korea. End of Story. Lol.
• Everything is negotiable.
• If you get married while in Korea you must immediately have babies.  If you are not married...why not? You are getting old. You must get married soon or no-one will want you.
• What do you mean it says no parking?

• What do you mean you need more notice that we were planning to have a school dinner?
• The voices over the loudspeakers on the trucks that go past are only selling fruit. DON'T PANIC!

• The F-16's that fly over your house are just practicing.  In case North Korea decides to be really naughty.
• Don't forget to turn your hot water on BEFORE you get into the shower...otherwise the water is going to take a really really really long time to warm up.
• Galbi is awesome. Soju is a bad idea.

• If you can't find it at Homeplus then you can probably live without it.
• Having fried chicken delivered to your door at 1 am is awesome.
• If it doesn't come with a freebie attached to it then it probably isn't worth buying.
• When it's really cold street food is the best.
• Socks are everywhere.

I am sure I have missed loads of things but that's the shortlist off the top of my head!  All in all I am super glad that I made the decision to move here two years ago.  I learned a lot and my life has changed a lot... and all for the better!  Looks like we are going to be here in Korea for at least another year and then who knows where after that!  In the meantime there is still plenty for us to explore... and a party to celebrate my two year anniversary this Saturday night which should be awesome!

 Last but not least I would like to add that today is doubly special because it has been 5 months since I married my darling husband.  I wanted to say thank you to him for being so wonderful and finding new ways to make me smile every single day.  Every day that I have been with you has been happier than the last my darling - I truly feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

The Korean War 1950 - 1953

Click here for Pictures-History website
for more images of the Korean Conflict.

The Korean War occurred within the context of the Cold War; a global ideological battle between Communism and Capitalism. Korea had been under the rule of the Japanese Empire since 1910 and after Japan had surrendered at the end of World War 2 Korea was divided, at the 38th Parallel, between the Soviet Union and the United States. Soviet forces occupied the Northern half of the country and U.S. forces occupied the South. The North established a Communist Government and the South established a Capitalist Government – both in keeping with the ideology of the forces occupying the land.

January 2012 Update

So, I know I have been pretty quiet on the blog front for a while, it has been a really busy few months! Excuses aside I figured it was time to give you all an update on what I have been up to!

A few months back now I finished my GEPIK contract (thankfully!) and started working at a Hagwon / Private School in Byeongjeom.  Byeongjeom is not to far from where I was in Osan so it was pretty easy to settle in.  I moved into a new apartment and I was excited to start working - it had been a bit of a rough exit from my last school with a few broken promises and some fairly average treatment - but after meeting my Hagwon directors I was fairly certain it would be different here.  The differences are fairly unbelievable, my co-teachers are lovely, helpful and super friendly.  The majority of the students really want to learn and are polite and helpful. Then, of course, there are my wonderful hours... I work from 1pm till 7:30pm Monday to Friday which means I get to sleep in every day but everything is still open when I finish.  All in all I am so glad I made the change - and many thanks to Sonya (the previous native teacher at my Hagwon) who gave me confidence in my new employers and made the hand over process so easy!