Sunday Afternoon Tea

After all the picture-heavy posts, I've decided to take a break and give you a break and only do a very short update with very few photos. (Also, I've updated my previous post on Blake Lively with more info about her outfits and where the photos are from)

I went to an Afternoon Tea Party today, and the day started of looking really springy and the sun was out, so my outfit reflects that, but then it ended up being quite a crappy day - ah Melbourne! Here's what I wore:

 

Brooke Pocket Shirt: *$29.40 (Forever New)

Siri Pleated Skirt: *$23.99 (Forever New)

White Clutch: *$16 (Forever New)

Shoes: *$40 (Novo)

Necklace: Gift (Just Jeans)

Bangles & Bracelets: Gift (Assorted from Lovisa)

Outfit Total: $109.39

* = sale prices

Oh! And I forgot to mention in my Thailand posts about the best bargain I found on my trip! And it wasn't even in Bangkok or Phuket or Singapore (where I had a stopover)...

I found the best price for Daisy by Marc Jacobs 50ml at Melbourne Airport Duty Free - $58 only! Who would've thought!

Anyway, that's all folks! Have a great week ahead! xx

I heart Blake Lively

Warning: This post may read like a teenager gushing about their favourite celebrity - it's actually a person in their mid-twenties gushing about their favourite celebrity.

I've always been a huge fan of Blake Lively and her style and wanted to do a post on her for quite some time, so I thought what better day to write one than her Birthday! (I read once somewhere that her birthday was on the 25th of Aug. and I'm good at remembering dates, that's how I know. I'm not some psycho-stalker-fan. Just a regular-crazy-fan).

Posing for Vogue

So, Blake Lively - where to begin? Whether she's playing It-girl, Serena Van Der Woodsen on Gossip Girl.... 

Reed Krakoff Trench Coat;
Dior Shoes & Emily Cho Clutch

     

    Stella McCartney Sequin Knit Dress;
Jay Ahr Blazer; Annalena Bag &
 Lanvin Cutout Pumps

Vera Wang gown

...Getting Coffee in NYC....

 

Topshop Knitted Stripe Top

Outfit Unknown; Burberry Warrior Bag

...Or strutting her stuff on Red Carpets around the world...

Marchesa Dress; Lorraine Schwartz Jewels & Burberry Shoes

Left: Marchesa Fall 2011 at Cinemacon
Right: Marchesa Spring 2011 gown at BAFTA

Zuhair Murad at 'Savages' LA Premiere

Nonoo Lyons Blazer; Stella McCartney Thigh-high Boots
at Eric Daman's book launch party

Karl Lagerfeld's muse can do no wrong (fashion-wise), even without a stylist.

Chanel Spring Couture Blazer at Chanel Cruise Collection Party

It's no wonder then that she is a Chanel ambassador.

In the Chanel "Mademoiselle" Ad

And is always spotted Front Row at any major fashion gig.

With Anna Wintour at Fashion's Night Out in NYC wearing a Marchesa dress

She has quickly become a style icon in her own right. I love everything she wears!

And I especially love her long, thick, wavy hair...

Her signature hairstyle

...which is something we both have in common (and the fact that we were both born in 1987) - except her's is golden like sunshine and mine, dark as night. She gives me the confidence to wear my hair au natural and rock it, without feeling the need to always have it pin straight or meticulously curled.

She's always my first source of inspiration when trying to put together outfits. Can't wait to see what she wears next...

Noon by Noor Tuxedo Dress & Christian Louboutin Metallic Pumps

Happy Birthday, Blake Lively (even thought it's technically not 25th Aug in Australia anymore - it still is in the States)! xoxo

Phuket Diaries

It was Phuket next on our (very short) itinerary (I'm very good with spellings - but that word always gets me). Bangkok Air got us there and I fully recommend using this airline if you're travelling within Thailand. At Bangkok Airport even on an Economy ticket we got full access to the Bangkok Air lounge. This included free wifi, coffee/tea/hot chocolate from a machine, sandwiches, cake, other local snacks and a popcorn machine - so all in all not exactly a gourmet feast, but its enough to keep you busy and its the thought that counts right? If your're anything like me and love freebies, you will appreciate the sentiment.

Now that I've actually sat down to write this post, I've realised I was so busy relaxing that I didn't take nearly as many photos in Phuket as I did in Bangkok. :(

  

Just lots of selfies at the beach!

We stayed at the Royal Paradise Hotel (it was a huge contrast from Grand Millennium) not the best hotel I've stayed in - but I've got say, great location! Right in the heart of everything Patong has to offer, and the tallest building in the area, so whenever we got lost - and its really easy to get lost in Phuket with all the One-Ways - we would just look for the tallest building and head in that direction. It's a 5 minute walk from Patong beach, where we spent our day lazying on beach chairs which you can hire for the day for 100B (Approx. $3). You can eat, drink, shop, get a massage/henna tattoos/mani/pedis without ever getting out of that chair. The beach-vendors come to you. And unlike some other places I've been to, they don't harass you - which is great!

Beautiful Sunset at Patong Beach

After lazying around all day, I finally got off my bum and went jet-skiing into the sunset all by myself! It was such a wonderful, peaceful and empowering experience. At first, I was a bit scared as the waves were getting a bit rough, but turned out I was really good at it. And I rode(?) the jet-ski to a quiet spot away from the beach and watched the sun go down, it was pure bliss! 

The next day, we went to Karon beach, 20 min. drive from Patong. And I have more selfies to show - but this is how I shopped on the beach. There were no mirrors, so I was trying things on and taking pics to see what they looked like.

Crochet top - that I didn't buy - I bought a crochet dress though for around $8

Sarong that I didn't buy

Sarong that I DID buy - finally! Approx $5

 I loved shopping at the beach! It just doesn't get any better than that! And remember when you are in Thailand ALWAYS bargain. Tourism is the biggest income of their economy and they'll try and get as much money from you as they possibly can, and yes, everything's pretty cheap when you convert to dollars, but its fun to bargain! Don't feel embarrassed to go down to half or even one-third the price they quote. They know how much they want and they know you'll bargain so they'll always start at a really high price and you've got to start at lower than what you are willing to pay, so that you can get to a mid-way compromise. And this goes for everything from shopping in markets to taxis.

Karon Beach

Karon - Relatively quiet as compared to Patong Beach

And that brings me to my last night in Thailand :(. How time flies when you are having fun! Well, I can't end without an Outfit Post. Time to see what I wore on my final night in Phuket...

Sequinned Top: Approx $25 (Forever 21)

Coral Laser-cut Shorts: *$22.97 (Forever New)

Colour Block Ballet Flats: *$25 (Forever New)

Bracelet: *$7 (Forever New)

Gold Clutch: *$22 (Colette)

Outfit Total: Approx. $101.97

* = sale prices

Oh and here's how we got to places while in Phuket, we hired mopeds for 300B/day (approx. $10). They were so much fun to ride around on, not to mention incredibly economical. Here's a couple of videos I took of the bike ride (and you'll see that's how most people get around in Phuket). This is Patong...

And that brings us to the end. I feel just as sad writing about it, as I did when I actually had to leave. We had such a wonderful time in Thailand! It was definitely an unforgettable experience! The people, the climate, the beaches, the nightlife, THE FOOD were all spectacular! I can't wait to go back. Here's hoping - to Thailand!

         

Bangkok Diaries - Part 2

SO, in Part 1 I managed to cover all the important stuff from my first day and a half in Bangkok, in Part 2 I'd like to tell you about the next day and a half - so we are still basically on Day 2.

Bangkok is famous (or should I say infamous?) for its night life. It's a party-town and there's no denying it. Bangkok looks like a different place altogether at night. A really good example of this was the footpath outside a subway station near our Hotel that has street-food hawkers and stalls during the day, gets replaced by this street-bar at night! It's the craziest thing I've ever seen!

A Street Bar Named Fantasy

But having a drink at Fantasy Bar will always remain a fantasy of mine. For our night out, we chose something a little more "up market", something more "high end", a little bit more "top tier"...hehehe...okay I'll stop with the stupid puns. Well, we went to a roof top bar & restaurant on the 63rd floor (now you get the puns ;)) of Lebua State Tower Hotel, called Sirocco. Have a look at the photo and see if it looks familiar - whether or not you've been to Bangkok, I'm sure most people reading this would've seen this Bar...

Hint: Like I said before, things in Bangkok look different at night than they do in the day...

Sirocco

It's where Hangover 2 was shot (refresh your memory here)! Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the Hangover movies, but I like movies in general and love to see places where significant scenes from popular movies were shot, in real life. Once you go all the way up there, and most people go because they know this place from Hangover, you've got to have yourself a...

Hangovertini!

Not the best tasting drink in the world, but its one of those must-do things. Unfortunately, when we got up there, we got to enjoy the outdoor area for only 15 minutes before it started raining and for safety reasons they moved us all to the indoor bar and restaurant so I couldn't take many photos - but the view from up there, as you can imagine, is ah-mazing! But for your viewing pleasure, here's my night-out-on-the-town outfit:

Black Tube Top: Approx. $10 (from years and years ago, can't even remember where from)

Blue Skirt: $20 (YNot, Chadstone)

Turquoise Low-Heels: $120 (Hype)

Gold Clutch: *$22 (Colette)

Bracelets: *$7 each (Forever New)

Layered Rhinestone Bib Necklace: Approx. $20 (Forever 21) 

Outfit Total: Approx. $206

* = sale prices

I luuurve this bib necklace I bought from Forever 21! It just completely changes any outfit. I've already worn it twice since I bought it and it didn't even feel like I was repeating a look.

Day 3 - Last Day in Bangkok :(. More street-food and sight-seeing :).

We had Goh Pao Gai (I think that's how its spelt in English) which is a spicy chicken stirfry with veggies and rice. Unbelievably good! Again cost less than a dollar.

Reclining Buddha

You just can't go to Bangkok and not see the Reclining Buddha temple! It's magnificent! The Buddha is HUGE and yet so calm and serene.

Meticulous restoration works at the temple

The Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha temple) is the largest temple in Bangkok. It looks just as majestic on the outside as it does inside. 

All this sight-seeing and touristy-stuff brings us to...you guessed it...Tourist Outfit - 2!

T-shirt Dress + Coral Ballet Flats = 

The Perfect, Summery, Tourist Outfit

T-Shirt Dress: *$30 (Forever New)

Sunnies: $35 (Sportsgirl)

Bag: *$44.95 (Colette)

Coral Ballet Flats : *$15 (Rubi Shoes)

Assorted Bangles: Gift (Lovisa)

Outfit Total: $124.95

* = sale prices

My dress did cause a bit of a problem though, we were told we wouldn't be allowed to enter the Grand Palace because of its length, or lack thereof. TIP: If you want to visit the Grand Palace, wear full pants/a maxi dress - but we didn't really have time for it anyway. That's just something we'll have to leave for the next time we go to Bangkok. That evening we flew out of Bangkok....

Off to Phuket...

Next Post: Phuket Diaries. Coming Soon...

Bangkok Diaries - Part 1

Let's start at the beginning...

Checked in at Hotel Grand Millennium Sukhumvit 

And this ^ is how far it was from the nearest shopping mall - Terminal 21. Photo taken from footbridge linking to T21.

Rooms were great!

See-through windows to the bathroom, which make the room look spacious (but don't worry, you can shut the blinds if you want to ;)). Can you spot my reflection, taking photos? 

Spent the afternoon strolling through T21 which is a mall that kind of has an airport-like theme to it and every floor is named after a different city like Paris, London, Istanbul etc.

Strawberry Daiquiri

Had lunch there which was pretty mediocre - but this gorgeous drink I had tasted just as good as it looks whilst enjoying city views!

Got straight down to business the first evening and headed to Siam - the shopping district with all the best malls!

I really enjoyed walking around bricks & mortar versions of brands that I normally only get to experience online. Central World Plaza has the biggest, effin' Forever 21! Even I got lost in that store, and that's saying something (I'm usually great at finding my way around malls, even ones I've never been to before - its a gift). I did most of my shopping at Forever 21 - 2 tops, 2 skirts and 1 necklace (which is not a lot by my standards). All this for a total of around $100. Not bad, eh?

Amphawa Floating Market

The next day, we combined shopping and sight-seeing and drove 1.5 hours out of Bangkok to visit this amazing place called the Amphawa Floating Market. Open daily from about 9am - 4am (more than enough time for even someone like me)! Its accessible by boat and is a truly unique experience!

This lady made us THE BEST PAD THAI I'VE EVER HAD!!

Served with a piece of lime, chilli powder, crushed peanuts and a pinch of sugar, all to be mixed while eating. Made on a boat! Served and eaten on a boat! All for less than $1!!

We then stepped off the boat to stroll around the market. You'll find all kinds of stalls and shops selling everything from cheap fresh food to jewellery, clothes, toys etc. Everything a good market has to offer.

But I also ran into the occasional quirky, fashion boutiques which I absolutely didn't expect to see but was pleasantly surprised by. There is something for everyone at the Floating Market!

And amidst all the street-food stalls, there was this swish cafe+bar+restaurant which looked very inviting.

So I sat and enjoyed a "Mai Thai" as I watched the boats float by (whilst Mr_Pre continued shopping - funny things happen in Thailand!)

Tourist Outfit - 1

And here's what I wore to the Floating Market (and then some mall-shopping afterwards), this is what I like to call a "Tourist Outfit"; comfy+functional and still fashionable:

Top: *$10 (Gripp Jeans Liquidation Sale)

Coral & White Striped Skirt: $10 (Forever 21)

Crossbody Bag: *$15 (Glassons)

Colour Block Ballet Flats: *$25 (Forever New)

Necklace: $19.95 (Stellar)

Assorted Bangles: Gift (part of a larger set from Lovisa)

Outfit Total: $79.95

 * = sale prices 

Ok, this post is getting realllllly long! So, I'll have to stop now. I'll add more outfit photos and sight-seeing details to a new post tomorrow. See you then. Off to bed now. Ciao! xx