Direction

Room wall | H&M Baseball top and The Editor's Market Backpack | Editorials by DANSK

Goals, goals, goals-

1. To learn to be less lazy and emit all contraction-usage on the blog. (isn't it the best thing ever though?)

2. To wake up early enough to actually see the morning sun

3. Not end a month with -$100 and a thousand impulsive buys

4. Not end a month with $1000 and a hundred why-didn't-I-invest-in-that regrets

5. To finally get rid of the year-old blonde ends

6. To work on things I've always wanted to on the blog

There are many reasons to smile (whoa whoa whoa it's the cliche dentist advertisement line!) about school holidays but this one is going to be like no other. 

The smell of September comes briefly with birthday candles to blow for SuedeFingers' third birthday. It's the third year since I first made this site public and yes, a very enthusiastic entrance I did make. Click here for a throwback of such.

I cannot deny that blogging isn't easy when you've grades to fight for in the education department, let alone try to avoid a writer's block or give more attention to coconut popsicles. However, SuedeFingers has become my best friend for fashionable ranting- my trusty listening ear indeed.

With that, there is so much to anticipate this coming month and the number of excitement dances done might have skyrocketed to possibly about a year's worth of dance central. (That being said, I don't even own a Kinect)

I have been spending lots of time sourcing for inspiration, particularly from editorials. Bookstores, museums, photographers, places and magazines are just one of the few things I might have to thank for all the resources (as seen on the wall). This week's favourite has to be DANSK's thoughtful editorials. I cannot believe I actually spent my last $20 on it instead of Vogue's September Issue.

Here's to a great holiday and September- I promise to go for that haircut before October, yes yes yes yes.

Lots of love and goals come true,

Tessa

Splitting skirts, splitting costs

(photos taken by +Natasha Von Epichelin)

Thrifted jacket from Hong Kong, Adidas sports bra (or as they'd like to call it, REALLY 'cropped top'), Skirt from Vietnam, Plimsolls were custom made, Topshop transparent bag (a gift from my clique kids!)

Rarely do I wear things that match my hair, which always gets me questioning if it's time to cut. But nuh uh, I'm guessing today's jacket was here to change my mind. I got this beauty (2sgd only) hidden along the streets of Hong Kong, from a thrift shop 'Me & George' (address below) that every fashion blogger had to talk about with bags full of cheap thrills. ALAS, I FELL VICTIM TOO. An hour later, I was 40SGD poorer, yet 10 pieces richer. Pretty crazy for thrift shop terms in Asia, especially when huge superstitions create fusses about keeping old clothes- let alone sell them. But from time to time, Asia will always reveal its own one-of-a-kind hidden gems. Forget about travelling west just to thrift if you're already living in the middle of so much concealed beauty ;) it's rare, but very precious.

Spent some good time with Natalie and Natasha (my two favourite Nats!) over lunch at Concetto. Like every chef-trusting customer who'd say "GIVE US YO BEST", we picked every recommended dish on the menu. Our eyes were full from lots of artistic dishing but don't place your bets on a 'hearty italian' meal on this one. Not very hearty, but scores high on beauty!

Have a good week ahead, and hug tightly onto your last week of holidays, poly kids. I know I'll be grasping onto mine with lots of sleep till the very last second D:

Lots of love and $2-clothing lovin',

Tessa

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Me & George

64 Tung Choi Street, Mongkok; 

9 Li Yuen Street West, Central

*don't expect huge quality pieces- but give it a chance and an hour to find someone's trash becoming your treasure!

The different languages of comfort

Pictures taken by Shereen Soon! (@ShereenSoony)

H&M top, Zara skirt, Bershka bomber jacket, Mphosis heels, Cotton On cap, Primark necklace, Aldo arm brace (or warrior stuff)

I gladly submitted to Shereen's proposal to take this Sunday's (yes, we're making it a weekly habit) outfit shots at Raffles Place.

Like a Singaporean Wall Street, Raffles Place is the heart of our business district that never stops beating- its bloodstream running wild with vibrant characters: dreamers, workaholics and people striving to find comfort in their own capabilities. I've been an avid onlooker of this vibrant city, since 5 years old when mom made it a point to meet Dad after he knocked off and today for my boxing classes. Till this day, it amazes me to see the real world packed into buildings- exchanging cheek-to-cheek greetings and ready to start a meeting, while secretly craving for a good meal to comfort themselves from all this stress.

The magic of being an onlooker is watching the district breathe on such hectic activity, like a body that sustains itself on sugar- sometimes bad, yet terribly addictive. It is for moments like these when we start to realise the silence in the weekend- when the working ones find comfort at home and forget the salad-bar-meals along Cecil Street. And of course, when people like me start to explore (AND THAT CYCLIST) (AND THOSE ISLAND HOPPER BUSES).

Here's to the ones who've been fighting good battles week in and out for the comfort love that's waiting for them at home. Here's to you dad- if you're reading this, press on and we'll always be waiting for you at home for a non-salad meal all day EVERYDAAAAAY (except mondays to wednesdays. It's cleanse period)

Lots of Love

Tessa

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GET THIS LOOK

Personal favourites: 

Mango - Something Borrowed - Steve Madden

ZALORA Singapore Google+

Alive, Awakened

I've always held onto the detrimental mentality that if I can't commit, I shouldn't start again. But blogging has its ways to awaken that writer in me again and for the love of fashion, forsaking what I love to do is out of the question. It's hardly a chore hanging around here, and I'm glad that school's not going to be sitting front row for awhile. It's about time this whole commitment game changes- there's definitely more to life than late nights with essays. 

can grainy photos be art too

Interests have changed and my love for clothing has been revolving too- minimal's the first word in my dictionary and its taken centre stage with my constant need to stock up on Zara's effortless pieces and leather necessities. Almost like my wardrobe's answer to Muji.

Regardless, here's to many more posts and the determination to get this blog up and alive again. I loved it too much to let it go anyway- there's so much I want to take and write about and go crazy about! 

Love

Tessa

PARA-PARA-PARADISE

 NOTE TO READERS (AND SELF): ALL PICTURES WERE TAKEN WITH AN IPHONE DUE TO ONE'S LAZINESS AND ONE'S INABILITY TO FIGURE OUT THAT IPHONE ACTUALLY DOES NOT PRODUCE SUCH GOOD PHOTOS OTHER THAN FOR INSTAGRAM OR FOR ONE'S NARCISSISTIC PLEASURE WITH THE USE OF TWO FINGERS OVER A POUTED LIP.

HENCE I APOLOGISE FOR ALL BAD QUALITY PICTURES AND WOULD LIKE TO REMIND SELF (IF I DECIDE TO READ THIS BLOG POST 15 YEARS LATER), NO- THESE PICTURES WERE NOT BAD BECAUSE MY CAMERA SUCKED.

About a month ago, Shereen and I decided to embark on a ridiculously long plane flight- which included lots of dramatic scenes when my stomach decided to churn up barf with my breakfast and gastric juices. Not fun, but entirely worth it! After 14 hours of having my unfinished beef ragout thrown away (much love to motion sickness oxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo) and family guy and bob's burgers (bomb diggity/BOB DIGGITY), we finally set foot on London ground (not soil anymore because yeah, it's 2013 not 1913 hah) and inhaled London air (which i, by the way, will be selling bottles of on eBay at $15.99 per 500g ;] ). As much as we quietly wished in our hearts that Singapore Airlines would pity these two 16 year olds travelling alone that we deserved to be upgraded to business class, it did not happen :( however, lots of love to the crew who flew with us, for taking great care of us (recall: "hello little girls, everything alrigggght? anyone bully you? If anyone does, must tell me yeah? I'm the captain here, I call the shots" OK THANKS BUT ITS OK I GUESS WE'LL JUST TAKE THE WARM TOWEL FROM YOU AND YOU CAN MOVE ON THANKS BYE) 

Above: first activity in London
Shereen playing on a piano that said "PLAY ME!" before going to the arrivals

The biggest reason that took away all reluctance from our parents to fly us to London was because my uncle and his family stayed in London! And yes, that meant being very very very well fed ;) 

Christmas dinner on boxing day after landing, freshly cooked by my aunty! Yes eyes, you're looking correctly- that's beef and yorkshire pudding and pigs wrapped in a blanket!

Our filled and satisfied stomachs didn't hesitate to send "SAY GOODNIGHT TO EVERYONE BECAUSE YOU WANT TO SLEEP" signals to our brains which immediately followed (gosh brains, when will you ever get a mind of your own?). I must say though, after 2 weeks of having 'slumber parties' with Shereen, I've learnt one important thing- ALWAYS wake up before she does, or you'll be finding these in your phone:

The next few days were filled with lots of first-times and omg-we-need-to-go-back-again moments! The big ben was an amazing sight and just hearing it actually go BONG BONG BONG in real life while @big_ben_clock went BONG BONG BONG along with it was truly an experience of a lifetime! 

We also met Winston Churchill's ACTUAL BABY HAIR IN HIS MUSEUM (Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British politician, best known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. Widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century, he served as Prime Minister twice (1940–45 and 1951–55). A noted statesman and orator, Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a historian, a writer, and an artist. He is the only British prime minister to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature and was the first person to be made an Honorary Citizen of the United States.) (THANK YOU WIKIPEDIA, YOU ROCK) 

It got me really excited because he's been 'that man' that so many of us taking history were studying about! AND HIS HAIR. 15 CM AWAY FROM ME. OH MY GOSH. Yeah, that kind of feeling you know? 

We also met lots of adorable squirrels (shereen's team) and birds (my fellow citizens) who paid absolutely no respect to our fingers while in the middle of fighting for our walnuts and 60 cents bread (which we were nibbling on while on the way to the park heheh). NEVER SEEN PIGEONS FLY UP TO STEAL YOUR FOOD BUT THAT HAPPENED ALRIGHT. Told myself never to eat in the park until those fellow citizens of mine are trained to at least bark or meow for food. (okay who am I kidding)

(Both pictures taken off Shereen's instagram)

Buckingham palace was nearby, which we rushed for on one morning. Having missed half of the changing-of-guards ceremony (where the guard chants a whole paragraph of words that the horses seem to understand better than I do) , we only managed to see them march back into the palace with the horses while the trumpets blasted Bieber's Baby (WHY NO JOBROS)

The three biggest highlights on our trip was shopping, stuffing ourselves fat (no regrets) and spending time great quality time with special people!

 Eating kitkat in the train because we can!

 Jun Ming stuffing us with the spiciest fish dish ever! (yes, that's a whole lot of chilli padi in that bowl right there) 3 cans of drinks and two pots of tea drunk during that dinner!

Rabbit meat fettuccine at Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant

 Uhuh, the Nando's there has mashed potatoes (and really good ones)

GBK/Gourmet Burger Kitchen's signature juicy beef burger with huge portobello mushrooms on New Year's eve! 

 Happy Shereen finishing 7 spicy chicken wings... right after a whole Nando's meal

Delish leek and asparagus soup at Borough Market! 

Amazing paella by this Spanish guy who guessed correctly that we were Singaporeans (do we really sound that Singaporean-ish?!)

Ben & Jerry's big tubs of ice cream going on sale (5 SGD) in the middle of winter

 Huge shish kebab that couldn't be located because vegetables are more important 

  Daily ritual: Donuts and Fairy cakes with hot chocolate every morning or night! (explain to me again, why on earth did we put on weight?) The supermarket bakeries in UK regard their cakes and pastries the same way as we regard roti prata! So yes, cheap and good!

Hot salt beef bagels on Brick Lane's 'Beigel Bake', a 24 hour shop that sells them like hotcakes/hot salt beef sandwiches (HA HA HA GET IT GET IT) 

Shopping around London during the winter sales was belond crazy! One will never experience a real sale until one shops in London

Welcome to the world's largest Topshop/Topman- 5 floors, a cafe, a dip-dye salon, a nail spa, maybe just paradise? 

 TOPSHOP FLEW US TO THE MOON AND LET US PLAY AMONGST THE STARS, LET US SEE WHAT SPRING WAS LIKE IN JUPITER AND MARSSS. IN OTHER WORDDSSS, Topshop's Galaxy paper bags!

a fraction of a whole floor dedicated to basketball equipment in NikeTown (was taken to motivate QW to save up for London!)

I THINK I HAVE A CRUSH ON SOMETHING OH SO GORGE

 Met a friend (whose heart is filled with gold) (i think) outside Harrods!

Jun Ming after a whole day of shopping!

Happy kids!

 awwww such nice people

Welcoming 2013!

Regardless the amount of shopping and eating, the best moments for the both of us had to be the ones with our favourite people! Lots of love to Uncle Victor, Aunty Kitty, Vicki and Jon for being the bestestestest hosts and for making our trip such a blessed and amazing one! To Junming, for bringing us around and spending time with us (that we really enjoyed!). To daddy and momsies (HIIIII) for blessing me with such an opportunity!

Most of all, to my favourite MUG whose company made the whole trip amazingggg. Having lived through real-life-omg-its-happening 'TAKEN' movie scenes (and then screaming our way out and running away), getting lost 1896347634 times on so many occasions, finding fun out of everything, and waking up to pillow fights like EVERYDAAAAY- I'm glad that God blessed me with someone like you :)

It's really true that no matter how far you go or how beautiful the place is, the experience will never be the best unless you share it with the people you love :)

AND YES, "when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life"

Have a great week!