Friday 30 May 2014

Fontaine Maxi at Chijmes

Since ages ago, I always wish to own a maxi dress because I think it makes one look so elegant. However, I was always unable to find a suitable one. All the maxis I saw are either too long, too short or has awkward prints that I do not fancy. One day however, I chanced upon Catwalkclose's Fontaine maxi and fell in love with it instantly. The floral prints were not only pretty but the length fits me as well. Moreover, the design is casual which means I can wear it to anywhere in Singapore, not too lavish or too beach-y if you know what I mean. :)

Being a maxi, the perfect pair of shoes will definitely be heels. Hence, I chose to pair it with fox-out braided sandals which has 2 inches of heels. As I am not a heels person and of a height of 162cm (which in my opinion is taller than most average girls nowadays). Hence, this pair of heels is perfect as not only does it make me taller, the height balance is kept as well as it does not make me look like giant either. I was thus delighted when I managed to get hold on this pair of heels. 

When I received the dress, I was shocked because the quality was beyond my expectations. It was nicely sewn, with a layer within and despite the slits, there is a semi petticoat to prevent any accidental protrusion.I love the silts as well as it keeps me airy in this hot, sunny Singapore which means I can wear it all year round. 

Here are some photos of this amazing Fontaine maxi taken at Chijmes which held a lot of memories for an IJ girl myself. I was bewildered though when I got there because surrounding me now were all constructions. I hope that despite all the constructions, the place will still remain as it has too much a rich history to be sacrificed. 

Btw, good news for you girls is that, Fontaine maxi is still on sale on catwalkclose.com. As the model is a Caucasian, you may feel unease to purchase because logically most caucasians are a minimum of 170cm. Hence, here are my measurements for you guys to gauge. :) I am 162cm and the dress fits me nicely till my feet. It is thus better to pair it with heels so that you do not step on the dress when you walk. 













With faith and love-J

Exploring Tiong Bahru

It is Sisters Date Thursday!
Hurray! My Sissy is finally done with her final paper so that means a time out together! After debating between the norm of shopping or the quaint cafe hopping, we decided to explore Tiong Bahru, a place known to be rejuvenate into a bustling, hippie, indie street of cafes and quirky stores.

In Tiong Bahru, most of the cafes and stores are hidden away from the modern city, in a small alley of Yong Siak Street and Moh Guan Terrace. Along these streets, lie places like 40 hands, P.S cafe, Open door policy or ODP for short and of course, the famous Plain Vanilla. After exploring the place, we landed in this minimalist, indie cafe called Flock Cafe. I love the ambiance, it was small but cosy and the food was delicious. They served All-day breakfast, Pasta and sweet savories. My sis settled for the classic egg Benedict while I chose Croissants with a splash of scrambled egg and bacon for a change. Oh my, it is one of the best croissants I have ever tasted in Singapore.

After filling our tummies, we headed onto the next stop of exploring the legendary booksactually and Stranglets. I love both stores. They are full of unique, out of the norm, vintage books and merchandise. Although the things are quite pricey, I feel that they are worth the dollar. My eyes kept scanning the entire shop of Booksactually. I got to admit, being born a bookworm, I fell in love with the place instantly and my eyes lit up at all the pretty books. Silently, I made a note to myself- I need to get my hands on some of these books (when I got the money HAHAHA). Luckily for me, the two shops allowed photography so I managed to take away some visual memory of the two places.

After walking the area for a few hours, Tiong Bahru gave me the impression of a laid back, out of town quietness which gives one a breathing space out of the stressful city life. It is definitely a perfect area to sit down, drink a cup of coffee and read a book in your own little personal space. I got to say, it is definitely nice to get away and explore different areas of Singapore once in a while, to further experience what this small red dot can offer. More importantly, nothing beats spending a day out with the person closest to me and just immersing in this little bonding time. :)

Here are some photos of the places I went in Tiong Bahru.

1. Flock Cafe
78 Moh Guan Terrace #01-25.
Tiong Bahru Estate 
Singapore 162078 






2. BooksActually
9 Yong Siak St, 168645




Their House cat snuggling in the bookshelf amongst the books. Too adorable! <3





Large Liquor bottles. BooksActually not only sell books but in a small corner, they sell vintage stuff as well, from music albums, to postcards, to decor to even utensils. 





Sam Willows <3



3. Stranglets
7 Yong Siak St, 168644
Tel: 6222 1456











4. Plain Vanilla Bakery
1D Yong Siak St, Singapore 168641
Tel: 6465 5942


Credits: google. ( Did not managed to get a full shot of the place) :(



I chose Red Velvet and Earl Grey Lavender. I love the Earl Grey Lavender as it is not too sweet and I love Earl Grey sooo. 

Besides these 4 places, there are still many other places in Tiong Bahru, go check them out too! :)


Clothes in photo:

Top: lace top from anticlockwise
Bottom: Indie printed skirt from Theeditorsmarket 


With love and fatih- J



Tuesday 27 May 2014

Midi craze

Eversince midi came in trend, I have wanted to get one so badly especially since maxi dresses are always too long for me (sigh, being Asian, what can I do?)  but was always unable to (I have no idea why HAHA), so one day I chanced upon Aforarcade and gosh, they have one of the prettiest clothes ever. I love the leighton midi skirts collection so much and fell in love with it the minute I saw them (okay, a little exaggeration but the skirt is really gorgeous). However, I did not have enough money at that time so I kept dragging until it was out of stock and missed the backorder as well. Fortunately, there is an app called carousell (Thank God for the person who created the app. Woohoo! I managed to get my hands on one of the leighton midi skirt through a seller there). I wasted no time and wore the skirt out as soon as I had the chance! You can see how pretty the skirt is later in the photos. Not only that, the workmanship and quality of the skirt is so good as well, definitely worth every penny spent on it! I feel like a shopaholic sometimes but hey, a girl will always be a girl and sometimes little perks like these brings a little joy in life. :)

Moreover because of the stripe design of the skirt, it is best to style it with a plain top and the plain leather pocket top I purchased from shopmissypixie.com paired it perfectly. When I first bought it, it was kind of an impulse buy because I thought it is a type of basic. However, I could not find a perfect bottom to match it but woohoo, now I do and I love the combination, together with a belt to perfect the look. I hope you guys like it the way I do. :)

P.s this is not planned but I seem to be in (words in a bracket) mood today HEHEHE! pardon me.













Top: Pleather leather shirt from Shopmissypixie
Bottom: leighton midi skirt in stripes from Aforarcade
Watch: Garden party watch from Elskasingapore

With love and faith-J

Sunday 25 May 2014

Kampong Lorong Buangkok

Who would ever know that in one little corner of Singapore hides a long lost gem- the last kampong in Singapore- Kampong Lorong Buangkok and to my surprise and delight, it is located near to my neighbourhood, with a direct bus. With my new friend and photographer, we walked and took the bus to Lorong Buangkok. Initially we thought we were lost as the place is so deeply hidden that it is easily missed by walkers or drivers. Thankfully, google maps saved the day and we finally arrived at the destination in one piece. Thank God for the wonderful weather as well, clearing the skies in the midst of this stormy season. To be honest, as I have never seen a kampong in my entire life before, the first thing my eyes saw since I was born was high rise HDB flats (it is Singapore afterall), I was taken aback. The houses were made of wood, roads rowdy, it reminded me a little of Myanmar (as I just returned from a mission trip there). However, the houses do not look dilapidated at all. In fact, they are brushed in nice paint of brown, beige or even bright colors of light blue and yellow. It was a lovely sight! We then wasted no time and started finding spots to do our photoshoot! In the midst of our shooting, there will be occassional cars coming through. Imagine cars parked in a Kampong. Such a rare sight isn't it but again, it is modern Singapore, I guess people do adapt as times change.

Apart from the physical attraction of the Kampong, what touches me are the hearts of the people there. They are mostly elderly and of Malay race but they are filled with warm hearts, smiling at us and apologising when they thought they had intruded our shoots. I even saw a small malay primary school boy returning home from school and I did not hestitate to say Hi and smile to him. He responded with a big smile and Hi as well. It made my day and made me think of the social situation in Singapore whereby people are deemed mostly unfriendly and cold but hey, there is this side of Singapore as well. :)

Moreover, the people there knew each other and were all so friendly with each other, chatting like old buddies, nothing like the neighbours in our HDB flats or condominiums even when we can take the lift up together in silence. I guess this is the kampong spirit that is gradually lost with economic growth and modern development. Overall, I really love this little trip and I will return there again, bringing my friends along as well. :)

If any of you wish to go there, here are the directions I took:

1. Take Mrt to Khatib Mrt Station
2. Take 854 at the bus stop outside the Mrt Station
3. Alight at the bus stop opposite block 965 (check the board at the bus stop to make sure you are taking the bus in the right direction :) )
4. You will see a huge construction site, walk towards it and walk all the way straight and you will see a park connector, turn right when you see it and then you are there :)

To end it off, here are some pictures of the shoot.










Top: Newlook basic
Outerwear: The Tinsel Rack Belmont Crochet Shrug (white) 
Pants: Forever 21
Accessories: Forever 21


With love and faith-J