Lilly Turns 10 | Superhero Party

Lilly had her first birthday in Hong Kong in May, she turned 10 and wanted a superhero party. Well you know how much I love to put together a party. Juices were flowing, Pinterest board set up , invites designed (thanks to izzy) and I was all ready to go out and purchase my bits and pieces!

First stop was Sham Shui Po for red fabric to make superhero capes for Izzy and I, and some black cotton for my photo booth backdrop.
Next was looking for coloured paper plates, cups, paper bags etc for the table. Ok this proved an impossible task. Where was the high street party shop I am used to back home in the UK?? OMG no one does plain party ware here, unless I want to pay an events planner to plan my 10 year olds birthday party!!!
Stressed is an understatement. (I know its a kids party but I LOVE the whole styling part). Eventually a post on Facebook put me in touch with Simply Love in Central. Beautiful store fit for the wannabe party organizer in me. I managed to buy my table ware, bunting and streamers stress free.
I bought the photo booth props from Dymocks in Sai Kung. Do check out Ursula's shop her range of party ware is growing daily and has some beautiful packs for boys and girls.

I knew I wanted balloons in my superhero colours of red, blue, yellow and black and thanks to Laura from Perfect Party she delivered me 30 helium balloons in all my colours.

Next step was those classic superhero signs! This was a lot of fun. Peter, Izzy and Lilly designed and decorated the POW, WHAM, ZAP signs.

We also made superhero capes for the lollipops thanks to this tutorial. Alot of fun and so simple!


I kept food simple, with popcorn, hotdogs, fries and crisps. Lilly asked for rainbow jelly for deserts and I made a huge chocolate cake covered in candy and candles!

Peter is a fab games organizer so I left him in charge of games!

All in all a great afternoon was had. We had Super Girl and Wonder Woman, Finn the Hero, Cat Woman, Tank Girl and Hunger Games (haven't seen the movie so cant remember her name!).

Next party on the horizon is Izzy's 13th!!! Yikes.....


Thanks for stopping by and as always we really appreciate you taking the time to leave us a comment.

Hugs
Team B xxx

Junk Trip | Sai Kung

Last month we were invited onto our first Junk trip of the season. Hayley and Steve have began really good friends and we are blessed to have found them. We met them on a NYE junk trip, and both their girls go to the same school as Lilly. In fact their eldest moves to Izzy's school in August! Everyone gets on really well, and Hayley and I have become really good friends.
So this junk trip was organized by Hayley for her best friend from the UK and their family who were here on holiday.

We woke up nice and early, food prepped, swimming cozies and drinks packed along with plenty of suncream. Just as we are leaving, the heavens opened and we are forecast an Amber rain storm!
This is Hong Kong and it takes a black rain storm and a typhoon 8 warning before anything is cancelled. We all met at Sai Kung Pier and away we went!

And yes it rained for the majority of our trip, but its so warm that it didn't stop the children jumping off the boat and swimming out to the beach to play football!

Excuse the rather soft images, boat and rain make for a not so steady hand!

The lovely Hayley and Peter

Not a great photo, but one of Team B enjoying junking in the rain!

Having fun trying to catch water bombs being catapulted from another boat (of grown men I might add!!)

Thanks for stopping by
Love
Team B xx

Andy Warhol | Hong Kong Art Museum

Yikes, I know friends and family, its been way to long since I uploaded this blog! Truth is we have been busy getting on with work, school, and living our new life out here.
The weather hasn't been great and April and May proved to be the wettest here in a long time, which has meant we haven't got out much. We also experienced a black rain storm, 12 hours of thunderstorms, rain and the most amazing and scary lightening I have ever seen. The New Territories where we live encountered  over 6,700 cloud to cloud strikes! the rain was so heavy for such a prolonged amount of time, that our garden wall collapsed. Schools were closed and it was all quite exciting and was the talk of HK for a few days!

The next few posts will not be in any date order to be honest, just what we fancy sharing with you!
Starting today with the Andy Warhol exhibition which was touring Asia through March ending on April 1st which was the day we made it.

"Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes" - Andy Warhol 

I was very excited to go and see this exhibition. I spoke to the girls about Andy Warhol and they were aware of the Campbell's tomato soup can, and Marilyn Monroe portraits, of which both were exhibited.

We loved the escalator ride into the Hong Kong Art Museum!

 And this wall, outside the museum, was just too much fun not to have an impromptu photo shoot!

fancy this one on the wall in the hallway!

Do check out the exhibitions at Hong Kong Art Museum, well worth a visit, and on a good day there are great views of the harbour!

Hong Kong Art Museum
10 Salisbury Rd, Hongkong

 Love The Bowkis's
xx

Disney Part 2 | Toy Story

I love LOVE the Toy Story movies, and have a bit of a crush on Woody ;) so imagine my surprise when we turned a corner at Disney land Hong Kong to see Toy Story Land! Slightly happy to say the least. I just felt like a kid again. Attention to details is really just spot on.
No Woody or Wendy to get photos with when we arrived, but it was getting dark. But those green plastic army men were about.

Lilly got to meet the army men!

Love the attention to detail, and those fairy lights!!

By the time we left Toy Story it was dark. We need to go back and visit Tarzan and Grouch Land, so I am sure more posts will feature Disney Land during our stay here!

Chines New Year is upon us and we will have lots to share next week from the festivities, as well as Lilly will be posting about her adventures here so far!

We love when you stop by and comment so don't be shy...

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Love
Team B xx

Disney Land Part 1

Back in 2010 we headed to Disney World Florida and we had a great time. The girls have always wanted to go back. Well they got the chance (kind of) to visit, but in Hong Kong. We got up early and headed out to Lantau Island by Metro to Disney Land. The Disney magic started the minute we got on the Disney express from Sunny Bay. The Metro windows were Mickey shape and each carriage had beautiful statues of Disney Characters, even the station floor was sparkly!

Once we arrived Peter purchased our tickets and he gave us each our character. Unfortunately I was given the dinosaur from Toy Story!!

As it was December time Christmas was very evident, and trees, wreaths and more sparkle than you could shake a fairy wand at was everywhere!

enough said really!

  You are never too old for candy floss! Where's mine!

Time to meet Mickey and the gang! The girls didn't bother with Mickey but Izzy was keen to meet Minnie, Lilly had fun with Pluto and Peter had too meet his chum Goofy! Whilst I tried to grab some photos of them all having fun.

 This last photo was taken by one of the Disney staff. We were picked to queue jump and be presented with a gift. The girls were chuffed with their huge sheet of stickers.

As always so much fun is had at Disney, I have lots more to share and we will definitely be going back as we still have worlds we missed!

Thanks for stopping by, we love to hear from you, so do post a comment.
Love 
Team B xx

Catch up

Yikes, I hadn't realized it had been so long since I had updated. Not even sure where to start!
After a month of living at Harbour Plaza North Point we moved into our house mid December, and our container made it just in time for Christmas!

We live in Sai Kung in the New Territories in a 3 storey village house. We have a Hong Kong luxury of a beautiful garden! We overlook the sea and mountains and we really do feel blessed to be here. I will dedicate a post to our house soon!

Our first Christmas was a very different experience. Very quiet. no TV, but we did have some crimbo DVD's to watch, of which Elf came out tops for the festive season!
I did manage to cook a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings! And we visited the lights and Tiffany Town for some festive spirit!
As some of you may be aware I am slightly Tiffany obsessed!

the girls making crafts at Tiffany's

The Tiffany Carousel

One of the many Tiffany trees

Main Street Disney Hong Kong

Iphone bokeh

As you can see, I had fun photographing lights, trees and bokeh!


Come January the girls started their new schools, although Lilly had a brief introduction before Christmas.
Its now nearly the end of January and we have some routine in our lives. The girls have school. Peter is getting his teeth into work and I'm tootling around this big house on my own!
Have found my love again for cooking and baking. I am menu planning each week, working my way through Jamie Oliver (ssshhh dont tell peter), Nigella and Lorraine Pascale!

Its funny though how our staples have changed so much. Pasta, potatoes and sausages are no longer a cheap staple, but more a luxury! Today in my cupboards you will find fresh ginger, coriander, lemongrass, noodles and rice!

Well I think this is enough to leave you with today! I will play catch up over the next few days. We have Disney Land, Po Lin Monestry, Sai Kung Fishing Village and so much more to share with you.

With love,
Team B xx