Tour de Asia November 2010

We're back!  And boy do we feel blessed!  We're blessed that the store has opened with such an incredible response that we already needed to go back over to pick out the second container.  We're blessed that we also had the opportunity to hop around some of the most historic and culturally diverse cities in China for more than a week, and we feel blessed to have seen and experienced such a unique culture that many others will never get to.  Wow!  We have a lot to be thankful for!  So here are some highlights from our trip!

Our Thanksgiving Dinner at Made in China

 Beijing Day 1: This was the best time-zone transition I've ever had over there (there's an 11-hr difference) partly due to the effectiveness of Ambien CR.  Thank you drug-makers.  After an amazing breakfast with my favorite made-to-order pancakes, we're off to buy more furniture!  Here are a few of my favorites that will be coming soon!

The hardware on this piece is original.  As in, 150 years old.  WOW.

I love walnut furniture and the finish on this piece is beautiful

 This turquoise blue is to-die-for

This piece is a pair--fabulous to flank a fireplace or to use in a study, or geez, there's a gazillion options!

And these are the "Red Doors" at the entrance to the Forbidden City that inspired the name for our store!

This is just one of the many, many buildings that make up the Forbidden City.  It was really inspiring to learn about their culture back then and to see how it has shaped their society today.

Now we're in Shanghai, which happens to be my favorite city in China because of it's diversity, the European-influence in it's architecture, and overall "hip" factor.  The restaurants are top-notch and the views are killer.  It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and I always have a blast when we visit.

One of the dining rooms in Vue restaurant at the top of our hotel

Yu Gardens

And for the first time, I was able to spend some time in Hong Kong!  I've always been intrigued by this highly populated island that used to be the banking hub of Asia.  The humidity was high on the first day so it wasn't as clear as I'd hoped but we were still able to take in some amazing views!

Crossing over to Hong Kong Island on a Star Ferry = check this off of my "Bucket List"

And this is at the top of the tram at the highest point on the island

My sweetie and I, he's also the brains behind Red Door Living

This was taken at the same point but is of the other side of the island--what a contrast!

We ate at Aqua on the 26th floor and had the best seat in the house down below!  I can't tell you how amazing it was to watch the laser light show take place across the island.  Life changing.

The next day it was much more clear--this is the view of the island from our hotel

Overall, we had an absolute blast and I am so grateful for the opportunities that have been given to us.  Bless Him!!  We had and have so much to be thankful for!

I took A TON of photos and had a hard time narrowing it down to the ones on this post but if you'd like to see the edited collection, feel free to stop by my Facebook profile (Betsy Harding) and have a looksee for yourself :)

We'll be sure to keep you posted when the new goodies arrive!

See you soon,
Betsy