The skyline is etched in my veins

Surface to Air shirt, Banana Republic belt, Forever 21 maxi dress, Zara flats

We have a pretty easygoing way of travel that is probably best defined as fortunate wandering. Our first day in Singapore we strolled on the Marina Bay boardwalk (where these photos were taken) and later ended up at a gorgeous rooftop bar with prime view of the Marina Bay Sands. A post on that spot to come. Anyway, if you follow my tumblr you'd know my obsession with red dresses (examples here, here and here). Though this one is not nearly as epic as those pictured in the links, it was an easy transition from day to night (sans black shirt).

Xu - Saigon, Vietnam

Hello all, sorry for the hiatus. I flew home yesterday after a month-long SE Asia trip, and now have lots of photos to share! This post is of a modern Vietnamese restaurant/lounge we went to in Saigon the first night we were there. I liked the contemporary twist on traditional dishes, but the next couple days we dined at homier places and had delicious food too for like a tiny fraction of the price of Xu (we're talking 2 drinks, 3 appetizers and 2 entrées coming out to less than $13.. it was hard to eat fancy after seeing that equation).

Papaya salad with dried beef. I'm obsessed with the elements of raw fruits or veggies in Vietnamese cuisine. There's always a sprig of cilantro, squeeze of lime, or some fresh mint and basil to liven up the dish.

Crispy soft shell crab with mam ruoc mayonnaise and cauliflower salad. I've also been obsessed with soft shell crab in its whole form this trip, I ate it every time I saw it on a menu. I know some people can't do the legs poking out of your mouth type thing but I don't get the jitters. Usually I consume them in the form of spider rolls but never as a whole.. I love that I don't have to crack any shells or dig for meat. I don't like to work too hard for my food which means my patience usually wears before I can even get a sliver out of a hard shell crab. To do: stalk down local soft shell crab suppliers.

Coconut braised pork belly with pickled red cabbage and caramelized daikon. Unpictured is a dish we ordered called bo la lot, which is a la lot leaf wrapped with minced beef. Was probably just too hungry and devoured upon reception before snapping a photo.

Bite size dessert platter L-R: yogurt mousse with Vietnamese honey, durian tiramisu, Vietnamese banana cake, sticky rice with durian, sugar and cinnamon soursop parcel, and coconut che with mango and tapioca.

Colonial Goods x G.O.D. launch party

Photos from the Colonial Goods x G.O.D. launch party I attended last Thursday in Hong Kong (mentioned in last post). The G.O.D. store in Central is an incredible space (OG green window bars, cement stairs, raw wood finishes.. taking notes for my future home) with a fun blend of vintage and contemporary pieces (especially loved those vintage luggages turned chairs pictured above). There was a free flow of champagne (as you can see I didn't let go of my glass[es] all night) and I got to meet some extremely friendly and awesome bloggers (shoutout to Tania, Denise, JJ, Sybil, Priscilla, Daniel, and the super talented Carmen Chan who took all the pictures on the wall displays). Thanks to my boyfriend slash photographer slash everything who went around being my paparazzi.

Anyway, posting has been sparse lately because this week: 1) I was the maid of honor in my sister's wedding in Hong Kong. Family time and the wedding were so beautiful! 2) Bf and I went from HK to Singapore for a couple days and are now in Saigon, Vietnam. Lots of traveling, eating, shopping = lots of posts to come!

Home is where the heart is

J.Crew linen tee, T by Alexander Wang low back tank top, WiNK pleated maxi skirt, Topshop leopard belt, Zara strap sandals, Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic bag

First photo set in Hong Kong! Though you can't see much (or any, really) of the city.. we tend to incline toward gritty alleyways like the one in the first picture. Thought the griminess would be a contrasting backdrop to the flowy mint pleated maxi skirt by WiNK. Wink makes some of my favorite feminine, sexy dresses (like the ones I wore here and here). I wore this outfit to the Colonial Goods x G.O.D. launch party I mentioned in the last post. Met so many fun Hong Kong bloggers, photos from the event coming soon!

Balancing act

 Shipley & Halmos dolman cardigan, Donna Karan silk tank top, Gap neon belt, Rag & Bone jeggings, Rebecca Minkoff booties, Marc Jacobs bag

Jeggings are my go-to... they singlehandedly revolutionized my life (wardrobe, to be less dramatic, but where's the fun). I used to be a jeans girl until I discovered the basic look + the stretch and comfort of yoga pants or wearing nothing (dramatic again) converted me completely over to the jeggings camp. I bought a ton of Forever 21 jeggings and then finally started investing like in these Rag & Bone ones.

Took these photos a while back strolling around a park in Seattle. We've been running around Hong Kong but managed to shoot today while waiting out a torrential downpour - will have those photos up soon. Tomorrow I'm attending the Colonial Goods x G.O.D. launch party in Central, hope to meet a lot of HK bloggers there!

Everyday is exciting, that’s lucky

 

Band of Outsiders sweatshirt, Topshop leopard belt, Cotton + Candy midi skirt, Fossil cork heels

Dressed down the lipstick, skirt and heels look with this Band of Outsiders sweatshirt I inherited from my boyfriend (he bought another one he liked better). I like pairing dressier items with slouchy casuals like a sweatshirt so as to not be too serious. That, and also/mainly because this sweatshirt is so soft and comfy I could sleep in it, wake up, wear it out, and repeat (in a world where hygiene is just a suggestion). These pictures were taken back home in Seattle, I'm currently running around Hong Kong - photos so far from this trip to come this week!

Alaïa suede cutout booties

This is one of those cruel teaser posts but I was so excited about this recent acquisition and had to put something up. I suppose a pair of Alaïa booties deserves an epic leather strap bound treasure chest of a shoebox. The gorgeous heel construction, darling petal-shaped cutouts, and the softest suede really make them quite a treasure. The best thing was getting them for an amazing deal on the Outnet, which actually has an impressive stock since Alaïa is pretty elusive to purchase online. Watch for the full debut when it comes closer to fall! Have a fun weekend!

Angel iPhone case

One of those things you can only find in Asia.. Snatched up this dorky but super cute iPhone case on Ladies Street (touristy outdoor market full of kitschy vendors) in Hong Kong. The cutout eyes and mouth are in perfect alignment with the Apple logo on the back so it looks like eyeballs and little two front teeth heehee. I actually used it on my phone in all seriousness for a few days much to the judgment of my boyfriend and probably tons of onlookers, but whatever. My faithful Blackberry recently passed away so I converted to iPhone, hoping this bright pink rubber angel will watch over it..

We become alive in a time of fear

Rag & Bone leather jacket, Understar cropped tee, Topshop leopard belt, Forever 21 jeans, Rebecca Minkoff booties

I've wanted red jeans since I first saw a pair at Zara when I was in Chicago in the spring, but the size was wrong so I figured it wasn't meant to be (yet) and moved on. There were many options, like J Brand, Ksubi and Rag & Bone all came out with gorgeous red jeans but before I pulled the trigger I went into Forever 21 to buy a bunch of disposable shirts/dresses for the SE Asia trip (clothes I wouldn't mind potentially wrecking in travel.. I'm kind of hard on my stuff) and saw these for 1/7 of the price so had to snag. Since I like them so much I'll know to invest into more bright jeans/pants in the future.